Fate
by dieselsbabe
Summary: Riddick and Jack end up together in more ways than one. Is it fate? ***Complete***
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer:  I don't own anything pertaining to Pitch Black.  This is all done for fun and I'm getting no money out of it.

****Had to re-post this story so pretty please read and review.  Thanks.  =)

This story takes place after Pitch Black and involves the separation and reunion of Riddick and Jack. Jack is almost seventeen in this and she never shaved her head. She did however copy Riddick in the other ways as seen in the movie. Remember to read and review. Thanks!

After their pitiful skiff was picked up the three were taken to a planet called Solace located in the Draven sector without incidence. They managed to find a place to call 'home' while they saved their credits for a ship or transport to their separate destinations. 

Riddick got a job doing body guard work for the local richies. Nobody questioned who he was; they just wanted him for his demeanor and size. It was pretty good money. Jack got a job at the hospital a few blocks away. She felt that someone in the group should know the medical stuff. It was a learning hospital so she got paid as she learned. They first tested her when she applied to find out her medical level. To everyone's surprise she was a four and to be a certified doctor, that doesn't include surgeries, was a level eight. After a month of working there the staff decided that she would make level eight in about two years. She was that smart. Imam worked on his religion stuff but didn't bring home any money. They were all content to let him stay home and be the 'mom'. Imam felt that Jack needed to get her education in case the time came for her to be on her own. He was willing to help them both as long as they needed him.

Things had been going pretty good the past few months. Everyone seemed to settle into a routine. Jack didn't get to see Riddick very often because of their conflicting work schedules but when she did get a chance to hang out with him that's exactly what she did. He kept to himself mostly but when they were together he made an effort to show some interest. He taught her a few things about self defense and how to handle weapons properly. Jack sometimes got frustrated by how little he talked but soon got used to it. Riddick didn't want to get Jack too involved in his life. He just wasn't like that. Taking care of someone was not his specialty and he was afraid that she or even he would get too close. 

He had been trying to get in contact with an old acquaintance. Someone who could get him a new identity and help him get his life back. He hadn't bothered to mention it to Jack or Imam because they might worry and the fact that he was a secretive person. All he had to do was keep working, save his credits, find his friend, and not get attached to those two.

They had all been together for almost six months when Jack started feeling like something wasn't right. She was working and studying a lot which kept her away from Riddick but it wasn't hard to notice the changes. He seemed to be working all the time and when he was home he didn't say anything. The nightmare's Jack had when they first got off T2 were coming back. Especially the ones where Riddick almost left them. One night was particularly bad. Jack was being attacked by an alien and all Riddick could do was stand by and laugh. The look in his eyes was all humor. He enjoyed watching her die. She awoke in a silent scream. It felt like the aliens were still eating her alive. She hopped out of bed running for her door. She felt like she was suffocating and needed fresh air. Her eyes were blurred by tears and she ran into the door frame as it opened causing quite a ruckus. She moved blindly through their place and managed to reach the balcony. Throwing open the door she took a loud deep breath. None her nightmares ever did that to her. Sure they were scary but she never felt suffocated by them. For the first few times she had them she would run to Riddick's room and jump into his arms. He held her and made her feel safe. Imam actually approached Riddick on the subject of sex and her age when he saw her leave his room one morning. Riddick just laughed and slapped the Holyman on his shoulder.

The noise Jack made was quiet enough but Riddick heard it. He walked down the hall following the sounds of her crying. She was sitting in a chair on the balcony with her face in her hands. Normally he would have gone to her to comfort her but he's been pulling away from her. More since he had contacted his 'friend'. He watched her for a few minutes and then went back to bed leaving her by herself. Tomorrow he and Jack didn't have to work and of course Imam would be there and he had to break the news to them. He was leaving. Try as he might to keep the emotion out of his once cold heart there was a little warmth called Jack that kept sneaking back in.

Jack awoke to a bright light in her eyes but soon realized it was the sun. She had fallen to sleep on the balcony too emotionally exhausted to move and even dream. With the uninterrupted sleep she got she still felt wiped out. She pulled her unwilling body out of the chair and headed for the bathroom.

"What a mess," she said taking a look in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen from crying and her face was pale. She turned the water on to hot and let the steam fill the room. Stripping her clothes off she attempted to wash away her pain with the hot water. Putting herself in a meditative mode she managed to forget, temporarily, the night before. She concentrated on the water running over her body. After awhile it started to feel like warm hands caressing her. Then her mind drifted and now her thoughts were of Riddick's hands on her body. Warm and soft. Stroking her everywhere. She was shocked by her thoughts but that's what meditation did. It brought out things from your sub-conscious level. She did care about Riddick but it never occurred to her that she felt anything more. Until now. Suddenly someone banged on the door and yelled.

"You alive in there?" It was Riddick. That was the first time in weeks that he's said anything to her. 

"Yes!" she yelled back.

"Well, hurry up and finish, I need to talk to you." Despite the hot water, her skin broke out in goose-bumps. Nobody ever wanted to hear those words. She dried off and put her robe on. Shaky hands shook out her hair and she hesitantly went into the living room.

While Jack was taking a shower Riddick told Imam of his plans. He thought it would be best if Imam got over the shock before he told Jack so he could be there for her if she needed it. Jack entered the room slowly.

"What's going on?" she asked as she took a seat near the hall. She nervously glanced towards the two men getting more shook up as the time went on. Finally Riddick spoke.

A chill ran through her body as she heard his voice. It had been awhile since she'd heard it and she didn't remember being affected by it back then like she was now. His words brought another chill but it was all together different from the first.

"I've been trying to get in contact with an old friend since we landed here. Finally I reached him. He'll be able to make me a whole new identity for me and even wipe out my prison records." He watched her intently as he spoke and she noticed Imam was doing the same.

"Well, that's good news isn't it?" Her voice was full of hope.

"It is." There was something he wasn't telling her and she didn't like it.

"So, what does it mean?" 

"I'm leaving." He might as well have hit her as hard as he could. Those words slammed into her like nothing she's ever felt before.

"What?" she asked quietly as if she hadn't heard him right. All hope gone from her voice.

"I'm leaving," he repeated still watching her.

"Why?" was all she could get out.

"He runs a transport shuttle between sectors and he can't stay in one place for too long. This is my only chance to do this and I have to go with him." His voice would have sounded soothing if the circumstances were different.

"When are you leaving?" she looked away as her eyes filled with tears.

"Tomorrow." She looked back at him. Angry this time.

"You couldn't have told me sooner?" her voice was full of pain and anger.

"I didn't find out until last night. He's coming in to pick up some people and then he's off. I need to go with him." Jack sat there letting it all sink in. She didn't want him to leave but she didn't really have a say in the matter.

"Okay," she said in defeat as she rose from her chair and went to her room. Riddick ran a hand over his shaved head. He had been preparing himself for this for weeks but he still couldn't help but feel bad for her. 

"She will be okay Mr. Riddick. Like me, she wants you to be able to be a free man." His words weren't soothing to him but he pushed it aside not wanting to feel anything. He needed to go out. 

He ended up wandering the streets for hours. This is something he had to do. Maybe he should have told her that he would come back for her if he could. At this point would that have made a difference?

When he returned Imam told him that Jack hadn't left her room. That concerned him but as he approached her door he could hear her breathing. She was asleep and he decided not to bother her. He wanted to see her before he left and he hoped that Imam could convince her to come see him off. The rest of the day was spent packing his few belongings and making sure Imam would be able to handle things without him. 

Jack finally came out around dinner time. She was in the kitchen and Riddick followed her in.

"Jack." He noticed she flinched when he spoke. "You never let me finish earlier." She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm.

"Please," she sounded horrible and she wouldn't meet his eyes. "I'm trying to accept the fact that you aren't going to be here and when I see you it takes me a step back, so please just let me go." A tear ran down her face and he reluctantly let her go. She went back to her room leaving him alone in the kitchen. Imam watched the whole thing and he only hoped that he would be able to get Jack to come with him to the spaceport.

Nobody slept in the house that night. After having a routine for so long, which none of them were used to, and suddenly everything was different was disturbing to everybody. 

Riddick rose very early and headed down to meet his friend. They weren't leaving for a couple of hours but he needed to be out. Imam got his little speech together and went to Jack's room. He knocked on the door surprised when she told him to come in. She must not have slept all night.

"Jack, I'm heading down to see Mr. Riddick off and I would like you to join me." He sat next to where she was sitting on the bed.

"I don't know if I can do that," she said and Imam sighed before continuing.

"I think it would be best if you went with me. You can't let him leave without saying good-bye. What if you never see him again? Remember how we all met? We crashed on a planet and we were lucky we survived through that." He hated bringing up painful memories but if he wanted her to move that was the motivation and it worked.

"When are we leaving?" She was off the bed fast grabbing up clothes to wear.

"Twenty minutes," he answered leaving her to get dressed. That wasn't too hard. 

Twenty minutes later they were taking transport to the spaceport. Jack was nervous. She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to say but she did want to see him one last time. Imam was right. Anything can go wrong and she would regret her actions if something did. The place wasn't too crowded for this early in the morning and they spotted Riddick fast. Not that it was hard. How could you not notice someone built like him? Jack hadn't known him that long but she was really going to miss him. Riddick was relieved that Jack was there but you would never know it with his lack of expression. They approached him and Imam spoke first.

"I wish you a safe journey Mr. Riddick. May Allah be with you." Imam shook his hand and Riddick noticed that Jack's attention was elsewhere. "I will leave you two alone to speak." Imam headed off somewhere so they could be alone. The silence was becoming unbearable for Jack so she just started talking.

"I wish you didn't have to leave." She still wouldn't look at him.

"I think it's the best thing for now. You shouldn't want to hang around me anyway. I'm just a criminal." She couldn't believe what he was saying. He wasn't just a criminal. He was a friend to her. She stood her full height and looked him in the eyes.

"Maybe you should just let me make my own decisions when it comes to my life." He didn't mind her tone of voice he was just glad she was talking.

"Fine. Then let me make the decision concerning _my_ life." He didn't mean it to come out as harsh as it did but he meant every word. There were tears in her eyes but she maintained her composure.

"You're right. I'm not here to try and stop you. I want you to finally be free but let me tell you something. You aren't just a criminal. You're more than that. To me, anyway. You saved my life on that planet a couple times and you gave me a chance to believe in people again." The tears were falling now and her voice was shaky but she kept going. "When I'm with you I feel like I can do anything. I feel strong and nothing scares me. You gave me a second chance at life so I can become something better. You mean so much to me and I've never felt that way for anybody." She had her hand over her heart and Riddick could feel her emotions sweeping over him resting on him like a lead weight. 

"Jack, I will come back for you. It'll be about six months but I'll come back. I promise." He had never broken a promise to her but even as strong as he was he couldn't stop fate. Anything can happen. Her eyes shimmered at him as the tears continued. She believed him but it still hurt to have to watch him leave. Slowly she nodded her head and turned to leave.

"Good-bye Riddick" She didn't get far when he grabbed her arm and turned her back to him. Instead of speaking he just pulled her into his embrace. Jack got over the shock quickly and wrapped her arms around him crying hard into his chest. "I'll miss you so much," she sobbed. He held her tighter and leaned his lips close to her ear to speak.

"Me too. Just be strong like I know you can be and remember everything I taught you." His voice was soothing and she began to calm down. They slowly untangled themselves and when his hand was free he reached in his pocket. He pulled out a small black velvet pouch and handed it to her. "Don't look at this until you get home. It's something for luck." He shrugged his shoulders acting like it was nothing but anything that came from him wasn't nothing. She smiled at the gift and then met his eyes.

"Thank you. For everything." Her voice was now strong and she continued. "Please, don't get yourself killed. I want you to come back to me safe and free." She rested her right hand on his cheek and he leaned into it as he raised his right hand to her cheek. The warmth of his hand was over powering and she too leaned into it.

"I will." They stayed like that for a few seconds until they heard the boarding announcement. Imam had come back and they waved as Riddick disappeared on the ship. Jack was still sad but she felt better that things ended the way they did. Imam had kept his distance but he had watched the entire scene. Not hearing their words but guided by their actions he knew that all would be well with them. The ride home was a quiet one and Imam new better than to make her talk. Jack had to work that night so she did her best to focus on anything but Riddick but then she remembered the gift he gave her. She went into her room and pulled the pouch out of her pocket. What could it be? She pulled the drawstrings apart and emptied the contents into her hand. There was a silver ring and piece of paper. It was a little note. Her hands were shaking as she opened it.

_Jack,_

_This ring belongs to me and I want you to keep it knowing that I'll come back for it. It's the only thing they never took away from me in Slam. Now that you have it, you can be sure that no one will ever take you away from me. Even fate. Be safe and be strong._

_ Riddick_

Fate. It was like he had read her mind. Or maybe they just thought alike. She picked up the ring to examine it. It was smooth silver with rough edges. There was something carved inside. _Property of R.B.R._She smiled and a new wave of emotions poured over her but this time it wasn't sadness. She felt happy because she new he would come back. 

Although after everything he had done for her she suddenly felt useless. All she did was be a burden and basically throw a fit when he said he was leaving. She had to find a way to make it up to him when he got back and she suddenly had an idea. It wouldn't be easy and it would probably take a very long time to finish it but it could be done. Hopefully it would make him happy. With a goal now in her head she went of to work in a much better mood.


	2. Chapter 2

Six Months Later

Jack had been working hard and was now pleased to be at a level six.  Two more to go and she would be done.  The time spent away from Riddick was hard so she immersed herself in her work and especially her project for him.  When she had any free time she would work out.  She met with a trainer who taught her how to fight and use weapons.  It was hard work but she wanted Riddick to know that she wasn't going to give in to her sadness and do nothing.  Not after he gave her a second chance.  

She also found meditation and yoga helped keep her mind focused on her project.  Sometimes her mind would drift to Riddick and sometimes she welcomed it.  Usually that happened in the shower.  Like the first time she knew her feelings for him were more than just the feelings for a friend.  The water had caressed her body and she thought she felt his hands.  Those were the times she stayed in the shower a lot longer than normal.  The feeling was comforting and she needed it to last as long as possible.

Imam had gone on some religious outing with some of his fellow people for who knew how long and he finally felt that Jack could handle things by herself, and she could.  She had volunteered for a day shift that day since she would be taking the next two weeks off.  Her project was almost done but there was something else she needed to work on.  Not only was she good in the medical field but she was also pretty good at computers.  However, there were limits to what she could do.  She knew the process of changing someone's identity was way beyond her abilities and that should be left to professionals like Riddick's friend, but there were a few things she could do.  

The evening was cool as she walked home, colors splashing over the sky as the sun set, leaving trails of purple and pink fire spreading across the clouds.  She enjoyed walking to and from work and this was one of the reasons.  It wasn't a long walk and she enjoyed being outside, smelling the fresh air, feeling the wind brush over her skin in a feather light touch.  It was one of the times when she could focus on things that didn't have to do with her life and those people not in it.

Her apartment came into view and she took one last deep breath before heading up the stairs, savoring the simple beauties of nature.

The apartment was dark when she entered but she didn't bother to turn the lights on, every detail of her place was mapped out in her head.  

She was heading for the kitchen when the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood up.  Of course, the first day Imam is gone something was going to happen and he would never leave her alone again.  The pressure in the air began to change and before the hand actually grabbed her shoulder she knew it was there.  

With the speed of a cat she grabbed the persons' wrist and stepped back into them.  Using all of her strength she leaned over and managed to flip the person over her shoulder.  Whoever it was the person was big and she wondered how she was able to pull off what she did.  These thoughts ran through her head but she never did stop.  Still holding onto the wrist she twisted it so the person was now on their stomach and she kneeled hard into his back.  Pretty sure it was a 'him'.  She leaned close to his ear to speak.

"Guess that was more of a surprise for you then it was for…" she trailed off when she caught his scent.  It couldn't be.  In her moment of weakness he turned the tables.  Flipping her off him and pinning her to the ground with the entire length of his body.

"Lights, twenty percent."  The voice sent an erotic chill through her body and when the lights came on her senses confirmed her thoughts on who this really was.  

"Riddick," her voice was quiet but her mind was exploding.  As fast as she had moved he got up and pulled her to her feet.  She backed away putting her hands over her mouth.  This had to be a dream and she was afraid it was.  Her breathing was labored and it wasn't from any exertion.  "Am I dreaming?" she asked.

"No." That voice again.  Her legs felt weak and she had to sit down.  He smiled at her taking her all in.  She looked different to him, all grown up in only six months and a lot tougher then before.  He hadn't expected for her to pull a move like that on him.  He actually felt proud of her.  

Slowly he approached her and finally knelt down in front of her.  She never took her eyes off him.  The only fear she felt was that this wasn't real and he would soon disappear.  She was probably starting to hallucinate from working too hard.  

His hand moved slowly up to her cheek and her breath caught as she felt his warmth.  Maybe it was real.  She moved her hand to his cheek and her eyes filled with tears.  He noticed she was wearing his ring on a simple chain, hanging around her neck and that made him smile again.  Her hand was also warm and he couldn't stop himself from leaning into it.  

Jack couldn't hold back anymore.  She threw herself into his arms straddling his thighs and tried to pull herself into him.  Relief washed over him as he held her.  She had been pretty upset when he left and he didn't know how she would react when he came home.  This felt good and as much as he hated to admit it, it was what he had been missing while he was gone.

His body felt good against hers and she finally knew he was real.  Running her hands over him, she could feel his heat seeping through his shirt and into her hands, making her fingers tingle.  She breathed him in as if he were the oxygen that would keep her alive. Reluctantly, she pulled back first and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm so glad you're back.  For awhile I thought I'd never see you again." Her tears were still running down her cheeks and he wiped them away.

"I told you I'd be back.  You still have my ring you know."  She slapped him playfully and he laughed.  Jack didn't remember ever hearing him laugh.  It was a wonderful sound.  "As much as I'd like to stay like this, my legs are falling asleep."

"Sorry," she said pulling herself up.  "You hungry?  I was going to make dinner before I was rudely interrupted." She headed for the kitchen taking a look over her shoulder.

"Sure," he said as he followed her.  

"Why don't you go unpack and I'll get started."  He nodded and grabbed his bag.  "You have the same room."  She called from the kitchen as she wiped the tears away.  He headed down to his room and went inside.  It was the same as when he left but there was one thing different.  It smelled like Jack.  She had probably spent the first little while in here to be close to him.  

He unpacked and went into the bathroom to put some things away.  The contents in the cabinets were a little different from the last time he was there.  Scented lotion, massage oil, perfume.  A lot of girly stuff.  Shaking his head, he put his few belongings away and shut the cabinet.  He was only gone for six months yet it seemed a lot longer.

Back in the kitchen he sat at the table and watched her.  Taking in the curves of her body, noticing the muscles on her arms.  Her pants covered her legs but there was no doubt that they were also well muscled.  

She glanced over her shoulder and smile at him, so glad he was back.

"I hope you like steak," she said not looking directly at him.  It was kept in the freezer for a special occasion, considering meat was hard to come by, but this seemed like a special occasion.  When he didn't respond she looked at him again.  "What?" she asked noticing him staring at her.

"Just looking," he said not breaking the stare.  She turned to face him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Looking at what?"  Her smile was that of amusement.  His smile was a different kind.  Sleek and seductive.

"You." Said plain and simple.  Sighing and shaking her head she turned back to the dinner.  She could hear him chuckle.

"So what do you plan on doing now?"  Dinner was done and she was setting the table.  He didn't move from his spot and she had to practically lean on him to set out their plates.  She didn't mind rubbing against him and apparently he didn't either.

"When I got back earlier you weren't here so I went out and looked for a job.  I'll be working construction in that new part of town.  Seems like pretty good work and really good pay."  Jack listened intently as she set his dinner down in front of him.

"Sounds good.  When do you start?" She took a seat across from him and started to eat.

"Two days.  Day shift, twelve hours a day, four days a week." He paused for a moment.    "What are you up to these days?"  He still didn't like talking much about himself.

"Well, I'm at a level six at the hospital and I think I'll make level eight in a few months." He looked up at her with an incredulous look on his face.

"It's hard to believe it's only been six months," he said and that made her laugh along with the look on his face.

"Yea, well, I've been working really hard.  Studying, working out, and a few other things."  Like her little secret project for him.  "A lot has changed, including me."

"Yea, I noticed," he said, looking over her again.

They ate the rest of their meal in a comfortable silence, one that had been perfected before he had left six months ago, and when they were through he helped her clean up.

"I've got the next two weeks off so you'll see me around.  Maybe this time we can really talk and hang out."  He knew what she really meant by those words.  Not that he was much of a talker but he would try harder this time.

They retreated to the living room to try the whole 'talking' thing, which proved to be pretty pleasant.  Riddick told her about what happened when he left, about the few times during a transport that his bodyguard experience came in handy, his 'friend' Trey, who managed to do a complete re-write of Riddick's life, the interesting people he met, and his new name which was now, Brendan Richards, a combination of his original name.  She filled him in on the boring details of her life, the few friends she made at work, and the guy who's been teaching her self-defense.  That little detail of information made Riddick curious.

"So is this guy a 'close' friend of yours?" he asked with a hint of jealousy.

"Nah, he's just teaching me a few things."  She totally caught on to the jealousy part and she smiled inwardly.

"A _few_ things?  That was a pretty advanced move you pulled on me earlier."  He leaned back into the couch and put his hands behind his head.

"It's been six months and I _am_ a fast learner, you know."  She barely managed to get through that simple sentence without yawning, the pull of sleep getting stronger.  "As much as I hate to end this, I really need to go to bed."  Getting up wearily from the couch, Riddick followed, feeling the same pull for sleep.  As they neared her room she stopped.

"You know something?" Riddick turned towards her.  "You'll always be Riddick to me.  Riddick saved my life.  Riddick is the one who helped me become who I am."  He moved towards her but she didn't back down, curious as to what he would do.  

His arms went around her waist and he pulled her to him.  Shocked by his show of affection left her paralyzed for a moment.  He rested his lips against her neck and took a deep breath.  That startled her senses and she placed her arms around him.  One hand gripped his back and the other ran over his neck, to the back of his head, and back down.  His skin was soft and warm.  This felt so good she didn't want it to end but of course it had to and he was the one who pulled back first.

"Sleep tight," he whispered, running his fingers over her cheek before he turned to go to his room.  That would be impossible now.  Her stomach had butterflies in it and they were going crazy, almost consuming her whole body.  On shaky legs, she went into her room and after stripping off her clothes, fell into bed and into dreams of Riddick.  This time they weren't nightmares.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later Riddick started work and Jack spent most her time on the computer.  Setting up an account for Riddick had been done months ago but now she just added money here and there and monitored the account for any red flags.  She was good at this kind of stuff and no red flags ever popped up.

Every morning Jack got up with him to have breakfast with him and every night she made sure dinner was ready for him when he got home.  He worked from six to six and he was pretty wiped out every night from work.  After a shower he seemed more human and a lot easier to deal with.  

The evenings were pleasant and they spent all their time together.  Playing games, talking, working out and every night when they retired to their separate rooms Riddick always hugged her.  It was nice to have him make the first move but she found herself approaching him the same time he did.  Sometimes the hugs were quick but others, and she noticed more often, were longer and tighter coming from both of them.

One morning, Jack had to pick up a few things so she was up earlier than Riddick to get ready.  Jack poured herself some coffee instead of juice to help wake her up.  Her dreams kept her up most of the night.  Not nightmares but they were very vivid leaving her completely drained the next morning.  She sat down at the table and rested her head in her hands just as Riddick walked in.  He had walked in and was headed to the sink when he caught sight of her from the corner of his eye and he stopped, noticing she was dressed and her bag was at her feet.

"Hey, you're up early."  His deep voice made her look up in surprise.  She hadn't even heard him come in.

"Yea, I have some things to do today," she said keeping her eyes on him.  He grabbed a cup and poured some coffee.

"You okay?  You look kinda tired."  He drank the hot liquid carefully with his back to her but when she didn't respond he turned to her and continued.  "I heard you moaning last night.  Are you sick?"   

"Sorry, I woke you but no I'm not sick.  Just dreams."  She stood up and put her cup in the sink.

"Nightmares?" he asked, moving away from the sink to give her room.

"Nope."  She couldn't make herself look at him, remembering the dreams.

"Ah, that kind of dream."  He watched the blush form on her cheeks as he figured out it was a sex dream.

"Yea."  Embarrassed beyond belief she grabbed her bag from the floor and started out the kitchen door but his voice stopped her.

"So, who were you dreaming about?" He said it so casually.  She looked over her shoulder at him, leaning against the counter with a tug of curiosity pulling at his features.  Jack could not believe what she said next and quickly blamed it on lack of sleep.

"You."  She turned quickly and left the house before she could catch the smile that formed on his lips.

All day Jack wondered what things would be like since she made her little revelation to Riddick.  She nervously worked on dinner when she heard him come home but when he passed the kitchen and gave his usual greeting before he got in the shower, she started to relax a bit.

Riddick came into the kitchen when he was ready and immediately invaded Jack's personal space.  He stepped up behind her to look over her shoulder at what she was doing.

"Smells good," he whispered gruffly in her ear.  

"Uh…it's something…um…" Jack couldn't get out what she wanted to say and was finding it very hard to concentrate with him breathing down her neck and he smelled so good.  "Imam made this for me…"  Jack looked up at the ceiling, suddenly at a loss for words.  "Shit," she mumbled, Riddick still close enough he could lick her.  "He made it...uh…while you were gone."  Riddick laughed quietly, deep in his chest.

"I love it when they do that," he said as he moved away and took a seat at the table.  Jack still couldn't move even though he was away from her.

"Do what?" she asked, not looking at him.  Riddick made a kind of purring sound that made Jack tingle in places she's never tingled before.

"Stumble over their words."  Jack turned to him, losing the paralyzing feeling he brought on.

"So was that your goal?" she asked, amused.  "To make me stutter?"  Riddick gave her a winning smile.

"Nah, but it was fun."  Jack watched him for a moment not stopping herself from smiling.

They ate quietly but Jack got more nervous in his presence because of the way he was looking at her.  Finally, annoyance pushed her into speaking.

"What?" she asked looking at him.  All he did was shake his had as if to say 'nothing'.  There was something though and Jack new what it was.  "You wanna know about my dream don't you?" she challenged him into speaking but he didn't say anything.  Just looked at her, completely un-readable.  "All I'm gonna say about it is that you are an animal."  He laughed, a deep hearty laugh.  She smiled and looked away.

"Is that good or bad?" he asked through his laughter.

"Well, let's see Riddick.  Was I screaming bloody murder or was I was I screaming 'Oh god, yes, Riddick'!"  Throwing her head back in fake ecstasy had him laughing again.

"Alright, alright.  I get it." He put his hands up in defeat but every time their eyes met he tried desperately not to laugh.  She didn't find it _that funny but it made her smile anyway.  _

The rest of the evening was going fine but she noticed Riddick was looking at her more than he used to and as they flipped through movies on the Vid-Screen he would often find some reason to brush up against her.  He would reach for the remote and she wouldn't give it to him, making him practically crawl all over her to get it.  She laughed but touching him made her feel funny, in a good way, and soon she found herself doing things just to touch him.

When, Riddick began stifling a yawn, Jack knew it was time for bed.

"Come on," she said, squeezing his thigh.  "Time for bed."  She felt his muscles tense when she grabbed him and she smiled inwardly.  As she stood, she stretched, and made a sighing sound, not knowing that Riddick was taking in the nice view.  She reached out behind her and wiggled her fingers, not expecting that he would take her hand but he did.  His hand was warm, much bigger than hers and a lot softer than she would have thought, considering the work he does.

She made a little effort to pull him to his feet and then down the hall.  It was funny that she could be turned on by the simple fact that Riddick's hands were big.  Means he's a man.

Once at her room, they wrapped their arms around each other without hesitation but the hug felt different to her.  Instead of an innocent hug, she noticed one of his hands had moved lower on her back, gripping her pants at the waist-band.  His other one was in its usual spot below her shoulder.  

She kept her hands in the same spot but her lips moved on their own closer to his neck, barely brushing his warm skin.  A normal person wouldn't have noticed but with his heightened senses he felt it.  His grip tightened on her pants and for the first time, she could feel all of his muscles through his clothes.  She didn't remember ever feeling his body like this.  Her breathing quickened and he noticed that too.  Moving his hands over her back he snuggled closer to her neck.

"Riddick," she whispered in his ear.  He pulled away to look at her.  "Do you _want me to dream about you again?"  She said it in a humorous way.  He snapped back to attention._

"No, I guess you do need your sleep." He looked deep into her eyes trying to find the answers as to why he was suddenly feeling this way about her.  Maybe because he knows that she dreams about him and that triggered something.  If he didn't get away now, these innocent acts of affection would become anything but.

As he pulled out of the embrace he noticed she was a little reluctant and just let her hands slide down his arms.

"Goodnight," he said as he backed down the hall, watching her the whole way.  He barely contained a groan as he looked over her body, noticing her hard nipples were pushing through the tight fabric of her top.

"Goodnight."  She never took her eyes off him.  Taking in his form so she could take it with her to her dreams.  She turned to go in her room but the sound of his voice made her stop.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered before disappearing behind his door.  Jack certainly hoped so as she felt butterflies form in her stomach.  

Unfortunately, for the rest of her days off, this incident was never repeated.  Yes, they hugged but it went back to being all innocent.  She didn't even dream about him.  Getting a touch of the real thing seemed to satisfy her brain enough for the moment but not her body.

**** Remember to read and review.  It's greatly appreciated. =)  Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

****Just to clarify something.  Jack at this point in the story is now 18 but no birthdays will be celebrated, just because.  Thanks for the reviews everyone and please keep 'em comin'.

Jack's first week back to work was harder than she thought.  She liked the routine they were in but now there were adjustments to be made.  

Jack worked nights so she got home in the morning after Riddick left and she left for work at night before he got home.  The only times they hugged or ate breakfast and dinner together were when they weren't working and Jack was really starting to miss the contact.  Sometimes she would leave him notes on the bathroom mirror just saying hi and he sometimes wrote back.  It always made her smile but it wasn't enough.  He was here but she missed him. 

After two weeks of this, Jack talked to her supervisor and managed to get switched to the day shift.  To celebrate, she bought steaks for dinner and decided to surprise him that night.  

Barely making it home before him she quickly got things set up to make dinner.  She heard the door open and he stopped when she peeked out of the kitchen at him.

"What are you doing home?" he asked gruffly.  That was usual for him after work.

"I switched my shift and I thought I would make us dinner." He grumbled something about a shower and headed to his bedroom.  She was used to that but he'd be better after he showered but when she never heard him come out of his bedroom she began to worry.  A gut feeling told her something was wrong so she put the food away and went to his bedroom door.  Knocking and calling to him got no response so she opened the door.  At this point she didn't care if he got mad because she disturbed him.

"Riddick?" she called out as she entered the room.  After her eyes adjusted to the darkness and with the help from the hallway light she finally saw him lying on his back on his bed.  "Riddick, are you okay?"  She got right up to the bed and she heard him say something about being bit.  "You were bit?  Bit by what?"  She sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned closer.  The heat from his body was so intense she almost backed up.  He was fevered.  Grabbing his shoulders, she shook him and repeated herself.  "What were you bit by?"  He raised his head and focused his silver stare on her.

"A bug," his said, letting hid head drop back to the pillow.

"What kind of bug?"  She shook him again.

"I don't know.  It was big and black."  An alarm sounded in her head as she remembered a few cases she took care of the week before.  All of them bug bites.

"What color were the eyes?"  For a moment he didn't say anything.  "Riddick, what color were the eyes?"  Just as she was about to shake him he answered.

"Purple."  Jack jumped up so fast her vision began to swim.

"Oh shit!" she yelled as she sprinted out the open door.  This was not good.  The bug was a Delegniford, newly discovered when the city decided to expand farther into the desert area.  The bite was deadly and if not treated fast there would be no hope.

Moving fast, she grabbed her medical bag from the closet and went to the com-link system to get in touch with the construction site that Riddick worked for.  Talking and prepping a syringe of medicine to reduce his fever and counteract the poisonous bite, she warned them of the bugs and anyone who has been bit needs to high-tail it to the emergency room.

Rushing back to Riddick she found he hadn't moved.

"Lights 20 percent."  She needed some sort of light to give him the shot and check his temperature.  Jumping on the bed she grabbed his arm and quickly injected the medicine and then checked his temp.  103.   Not good.  The medicine would keep him from succumbing to the poison but she still needed to get his fever down fast.

"What did you just give me?" he asked in almost a whisper.

"Medicine.  A kind of anti-venom."  She put the syringe on the night table and turned back to him.

"Am I dying?"  He wasn't worried or scared and didn't sound like it either.

"No, the medicine will help you but we need to get your fever down."

"I just need to sleep." He started to roll over but Jack stopped him and pulled him back.

"No, we need to get this fever down now," she said sternly

"You said I won't die so just let me sleep it off."  She let him roll over this time but she wasn't through with him yet.  Running to the bathroom, she started a bath and added some herbs to the water to bring the chill, caused by the fever, down. She lowered the lights and set up some clean towels on the counter before going back to his room.

Riddick had covered himself up with blankets and Jack suddenly felt sorry for him and afraid for her own well-being.  How was she going to get him up?  Would he fight her?  She sat on the bed and pulled the covers down so she could see his face.

"Riddick, I need to bring this fever down so I'm running a bath and I need you to get up." She kept her voice calm and reassuring.

"NO!"  He pulled the blankets back up over his head.  "Leave me alone," came his muffled voice from under the blanket.  Jack was angry now.  He didn't understand what could happen to him with this fever so with shaky hands, she grabbed the covers and pulled them all he way off in anger.

"Why won't you let me help you?  You've helped me, just let me do this." The shock made Riddick just stare at her.  His body began shaking as the cold came over him.  "Get the fuck up now or I will drag you're ass to that bathroom," she said through clenched teeth, which got her a reaction.

"I'd laugh at that but I feel too much like shit," he groaned out as he sat up slowly.  Jack gently grabbed his arm to help him up.  All of her anger was gone now.

"Do your muscles and joints hurt?" she asked, draping his arm over her shoulder and heading for the bathroom.

"Yea."  He leaned into her and was pleased to find she could support him.  She nodded and guided him into the bathroom.  Riddick didn't exactly like the idea that he had to depend on anybody but he really didn't have a choice.  

Jack let him go but kept her hands on his arms to steady him.

"Are you going to be okay to get in there yourself?" she asked.  He eyed the water before responding.

"I'm sure I can manage."  He sounded weak and that worried Jack to almost tears.  Riddick was never weak and now she realized how much she depended on him and his strength.

"If you need help just yell."  Reluctantly she turned and left him alone in the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

In the kitchen Jack prepared a massage lotion with some herbs and a heating element that would help with his sore muscles and joints.  After ten minutes she was done and decided to check on Riddick.  She opened the door slowly not wanting to barge in on him.

"Why did you make the water so fucking cold?"  Relieved he was still alive she moved closer the tub.

"Honey, the water's not cold.   It only feels cold because your body temp is 103."  He pulled back the glass so he could look at her.

"Wow, that's high." Jack knelt down next to the tub and put a hand on his forehead.  Still warm but not like before.  She reached behind her and grabbed a washcloth off the counter.

"Here, lean forward."  Riddick brought his knees up and rested his arms on them, letting his forehead drop to his arms.  Jack dipped the washcloth in the water and ran it slowly over his back.  He groaned in response to the 'cold' water on his back but as she continued he became quiet.  

She ran the cloth over his arm and used her free hand to cup the water and let it run down his neck.  Each time she went for more water she let her hand run down the smoothness of his back and for awhile she didn't notice that Riddick had turned his head to watch her.  This would have been a very intimate act if he hadn't been sick and Jack noticed a tingling sensation between her legs.  Shaking her head as if to get rid of her feelings she finally noticed Riddick watching her and the butterfly's began to consume her once again.

"Uh. I think it's time to get you outta here." She stood up and reached for a towel, backing away from view to give him privacy.  When he was up she handed him the towel without looking even though she wanted to.  He stepped out and now she couldn't help but look.  The water ran over his skin and all she could do is stare at his body and the way the water streaked over the hills and dips of his stomach muscles, twinkling in the dim light like liquid diamonds.

Jack shook off those thoughts and grabbed another towel.  Stepping up close to him, she wrapped it around his shoulders.

"I need to take your temperature again so dry off and I'll be right back."  She hurried from the room and grabbed the thermo patch from her bag instead of the thermo scan.  This would go on his wrist and would monitor his temp and heart rate.

Back in the bathroom she saw he was dry and without speaking, put the patch around his wrist.  Riddick put his arm around her shoulder on his own and she led him to his room.  His bare skin felt good next to her and he smelled good.

"You want anything to wear?" she asked as she sat him on the bed.

"No," he replied.

"Good."  Realizing what that must have sounded like she began to explain.  "I mean I have some stuff for your muscles and it would help if you weren't dressed."  He listened to her in amusement and she gave up hope on this conversation.  "I'll be back," she said in exasperation.

Returning with the bottle of lotion she found he had covered up again.  'Poor guy' she thought as she removed some of the blanket to find his hand, the one with the patch on it.  His temperature had one down to 101 degrees.  That was a good sign.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack left the hall light on and the door open so she could see what she was doing and so Riddick wouldn't have to wear his goggles.

"Okay Riddick.  I'm going to apply this lotion which will help the ache and as I massage it in it will heat up, helping with the chill."  She moved to the end of the bed as she spoke and moved the blanket off of one leg before straddling it.  Riddick watched her with interest.  She put some lotion in her hand and started with his ankle.  Rubbing gently yet firmly enough to make it heat up, she moved slowly up his calf.  The hairs on his legs were dark and soft and she felt greedily, with her fingers, at the well-developed muscles underneath his soft skin.  

Her hands moved over his entire leg, feeling every part of it and her blood pressure went up as she reached his thigh.  Trying to control her breathing as her hands moved up was difficult.  His thighs were wonderfully thick and the heat from his skin was driving her mad.

Stopping before she got too high, she moved to the other leg to repeat the process.  With the hard part done, at least she thought it was the hard part, she moved back to his side to start on his arms.

Resting his right arm in her lap she started with his fingers.  Making sure to pay close attention to each one before moving to his big strong hand.  She started feeling light-headed but it felt good.  

Sliding her hands expertly up his forearm she reveled in the feel of his skin.  When she reached his bicep, she jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Where did you learn to do this?" he asked sounding more alert than before.

"Part of my training.  First I learn how to fix 'em up and then I have to help them learn how to re-adjust through physical and massage therapy."  Talking took her mind off the feelings that kept running through her body.

"Is that lavender?"  She didn't understand why it surprised her every time he proved that his sense of smell was way beyond anyone else's.

"Yea, it'll help you sleep better."  He nodded his head as she made it up to his shoulder.  One of her favorite parts.  Running one hand behind his shoulder and the other one in front, she worked the muscles as hard as she dared.  She had to get up on her knees as she worked but soon found her position was too hard to hold because of her angle.

"Riddick.  This angle is not working for me so don't take it the wrong way but I'm going to have to climb…" she trailed off making motions with her hands, too embarrassed to say the words.  Riddick looked at her knowing exactly what she meant but liked watching her suffer.

"Go ahead," he said pulling the blanket off.  Thankfully the towel stayed on.  Slowly she straddled him making sure she didn't come in contact with him.  She put more lotion in her hands and started moving across his chest.  Okay, she lied.  This was her favorite part.  Her hands ran over the grooves of his muscles and naughty thoughts began to pop up in her head.  She closed her eyes and imagined moving against his body, feeling the hardness of his muscles pressed against her.  Unintentionally, she let herself sit back on his abs.  Her mind must have taken her somewhere else because again she forgot that Riddick could pick up the scent of arousal and he could see in the dark.  

Smiling, because he knew she couldn't see him, he got comfortable and watched the show.  Her eyes were shut as she rubbed his chest and her body finally came in contact with his making a part of him ache in response.  Luckily she was sitting high enough on him that she wouldn't feel his own growing arousal.

She kept massaging, lost in her own thoughts.  Moving to his other shoulder she leaned over to be able to reach him but in the process she had moved her body lower on his.  Quickly he grabbed the back of her thighs to prevent her from moving any lower and startled, she pulled back from him.  Embarrassment settled over her as she realized what she was doing and that Riddick had stopped her.

"Sorry," she said as she climbed off him to continue down his arm.  What was she thinking?  Stupid.  Stupid.  She mentally slapped herself for losing control.  There was no doubt that Riddick knew what she was doing.

She finished up quickly and climbed off the bed.

"Anywhere else?" she asked shyly.  He noticed she wouldn't look at him.

"No, I'm fine," he said pulling the covers back over him before pulling the towel off and throwing it on the floor.  Jack bent over to pick it up before leaving the room.

"Now you can sleep," she said over her shoulder.

"Hey," he said, stopping her.  Turning back to him she caught a glint of silver from his eyes, barely able to meet his gaze.  "Thanks."  She knew it was hard for him to say that but she was grateful he did.

"You're welcome," she said, smiling.  She pulled the door shut after her and took a deep breath.  Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and she had to lean against the door.  What was she trying to do, relive her dream?  It didn't seem like Riddick really wanted her to or he wouldn't have stopped her.

Tossing the towel on the bathroom sink, she headed into the kitchen to get a glass of water.  She felt hot and dehydrated.  Poor guy is sick and she's trying to take advantage of him.

Jack paced the house checking him occasionally to make sure he was still breathing.  After a couple hours of wearing down the carpet she went into his room to check his temperature.  Carefully, she picked up his arm to read the patch.  99 degrees.  She breathed a silent sigh of relief.  He would be okay.

Taking up residency in a chair, she kept a vigil on him.  His slight fever caused him to dream and he tossed and turned, speaking things Jack couldn't understand.  Despite the late hour, Jack was wide-awake, watching for any change indicating the fever had come back.  

Around one o'clock in the morning his tossing and turning became violent and Jack was on her feet in an instant.  She was trained to take care of someone in this state but it was different when it was someone close to you.

Not thinking about her safety, she climbed on the bed with him, narrowly avoiding his swinging fists.  She managed to grab one of his arms and put all her weight on it so she could read the patch.  The digital numbers seemed to burn into her vision and she was suddenly very afraid.  104.5.  That was too high.  She kept his arm down with her knee and grabbed his shoulders to shake him.

"Riddick, wake up!" she yelled.  "You're in trouble!"  He stopped struggling but he seemed dazed.  Her only chance was to get him under some cold water and bring this fever down fast.  The medicine would do its job as long as the fever was kept under control.  If it stayed up for too long the medicine would become ineffective.

Fear made adrenaline pump through her veins and she used this to her advantage.  Pulling him up into a sitting position she backed off the bad, pulling him with her.  He was delirious and she had to do most of the work to get him on his feet.  She didn't even remember he was naked and she didn't even look.

Carefully positioning her body so she could support him, they made their way to the bathroom.  Once inside she turned the shower on cold and pulled him in with her.  The water shocked both of them and he pulled her into his arms.

"Shit, that's cold," he said through clenched teeth.  The water drenched her clothes and hair but the heat from his body kept her warm temporarily.

"Hold on baby.  We have to do this," she said turning so they both were getting wet, wanting to suffer through this with him.  He rested his head on her shoulder and growled tensely into her ear.  After standing there for a few minutes she reached for his arm that was tightly around her waist.

"Riddick, give me your arm.  I need to check the patch."  The patch would give an accurate reading even though cold water was running over it.  The sensor was sealed to his skin, monitoring only his body temperature.

Reluctantly, he released his grip on her and moved his arm so she could see it.  She tilted her head so she could read it, 102.

"It's going down," she said with relief.  "But we need to switch positions."  Keeping her grip on him, she moved underneath his arm so she was behind him.  The water splashed on his chest and he began to shiver.  She pressed her body to his back and held him, rubbing her hands over his chest and stomach soothingly.  Riddick placed his hands on the wall for balance letting his chin drop to his chest.  He knew how to deal with pain so he put his mind somewhere else.  Focusing on Jack's body pressed to him and her hands running over him certainly took his mind off the pain in his muscles but now the ache had settled in the pit of his stomach.  The animal in him wanted her to move her hands a little lower and relieve that ache as well.

Her cheek was resting on his back near his shoulder and he focused on her heat, on the way her soft hands moved lazily over his body.  He watched the water run down his chest and over her hands making him forget about how cold the water was.  For a fleeting moment, the feelings of lust for her were so intense that no amount of cold water would be able cool him off.  He bit down hard and scratched at the wet tile in an effort to not push past the line he wasn't even sure was there.

Lost in thought he didn't realize Jack had moved so she could see the patch.

"Whoa, it worked.  97 degrees.  Maybe it worked too well.  Let's get you back to bed."  She turned the water off and stepped out with him, reaching for another towel without taking her eyes off his.  

He dried as fast as he could while Jack took off everything but her underwear.  Riddick took a good look at her when she wasn't aware.  Finally seeing those muscles he knew she had.  Goosebumps had broken out over her skin and her hardened nipples were showing through her bra.  He looked away fast, desperate to control the animal that wanted out.

She grabbed a towel and dried off without looking in his direction afraid of what she might see.  Rejection or acceptance?  Wrapping the towel tightly around her she turned to him.

"Ready?" she asked.  He nodded and they both left the bathroom.  He seemed much stronger than before and he walked on his own.  "I'm going to change but I'll come check on you in a minute."  Riddick went to his room and Jack changed in hers.  

Shivering from the cold water, Jack fumbled through some of her clothes and decided on an over-sized shirt and a pair of wool socks before heading to Riddick's room.

He was under the covers again but he had left his arm out so she could check the patch.  It read, 98.6.  Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled her arm back but Riddick grabbed her wrist, pulled open the covers, pulled her down to the bed, and covered them both up before she realized what had happened.

"Riddick," she started to say but he cut her off.

"Shhh.  You're freezing and we wouldn't want you to get sick."  He wrapped his arms around her and she settled into his warmth, resting her cheek against his bare chest.  "Sleep," he whispered as she wrapped an arm around his waist.  Sleep came fast to both of them.


	6. Chapter 6

Stretching lazily as the sun came in through the window, Jack actually felt pretty good.  For a second, that is.  Sitting up quickly she knew she was in Riddick's bed but where was he?  Untangling herself from the covers, she ran to the door and down the hall to the living room.  As she passed the kitchen, she saw him from the corner of her eye, standing at the counter.  With quick reflexes, she reached out and grabbed the door frame to slow her momentum and stumbled into the kitchen.

"Riddick," she gasped.  "I thought something had happened to you."  She was out of breath and she leaned over trying to catch it.

"I'm okay," he said approaching her.

"Oh, good."  She stood back up and smiled at him.  "How do you feel?" she asked.

"Pretty good, thanks to you."  She patted his arm as she moved past him to the counter to pour herself some coffee.  

"Will you be okay for awhile?  I've have to finish a few things at the hospital."  She heard Riddick chuckle and wondered what was so funny.

"I'm sure I can handle myself," he said stepping up close to her.

"Do you remember last night?" she asked as she turned to face him.  A smile spread across his face.

"Of course I do.  We slept together."  He kept smiling even when she slapped him on the arm.

"We slept in the same bed," she clarified, "which was probably a good idea since you were sick.  I just want to make sure before I go."  She moved past him to the bathroom but stopped when he spoke.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked as he put some things away.

"Not long.  An hour maybe."  She sensed he was disappointed.  "When I get back we can do whatever you want."  Probably not the best choice in words.

"Whatever I want, huh?"  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully but Jack didn't let him get out what he wanted.

"Within reason," she said as she walked out of the room but leaned back in to finish her sentence, "maybe."  He turned towards her so fast he almost lost his balance but Jack was already down the hall in the bathroom.  

She hurried through her shower and got dressed.  All she had to do was get her little surprise from the hospital after she finished a few things on it, grab the money chip she hid in her locker and get home.  This would be one interesting night.

When Jack got back she noticed Riddick had gone to the gym because his bag was sitting on the floor by the couch and he was now in the shower.  For some reason, she was nervous as hell.  She didn't know how he would react to her gift so she opted to pace the living room until he came out.

Riddick knew Jack was home.  He could smell her the second he stepped out of the bathroom.

"Jack?" he called out.

"In here, Riddick."  Jack finally took a seat, staring at the doorway, waiting for Riddick to come in.  Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he walked in.  All she could do was stare at his body.  She had seen him the night before but given the situation she really didn't take notice.  Now she noticed and she noticed it all.  The way the towel hung on his hips, the dusting of dark hair on his nicely defined abs, the way his muscles moved with each step, and…

"Jack?"  Jack realized that he had said her name more than once.  Snapping back to the present, Jack looked up at him.  "Are you okay?" he asked not bothering to keep the humor out of his voice.

"I'm fine.  I just need to talk to you for a minute."  Riddick looked a little concerned and took a seat on the couch across from her with the towel barely covering him, Jack noticed.  He didn't speak but she knew he was listening.  She reached in her shirt and paused when she saw the look on Riddick's face.  He had cocked an eyebrow up at her and smiled.  She shook her head and untangled the chain from the one Riddick's ring was on and pulled it over her head.  It looked like dog tags but they weren't.

"Here," she said, tossing him the chain.  He caught it easily and looked at it.

"What is this?"

"It's a credit chip and it's for you.  A little something I've been working on since you left."  She watched Riddick intently, hoping he wouldn't be mad at her for hacking and stealing money for him.  

He fingered the chip, deep in thought.  'Why would Jack do something like this for him?' he thought.

"Why?"  He thought he should just ask her.  Jack was relieved his first sentence wasn't telling her she was wrong to do it.

"Because of everything you've given me, I wanted to do something for you."

"You took care of me last night.  There's nothing more you need to do for me."  Jack felt hurt by his words but she didn't let it show.  She continued as if he never said a word.

"There's two million on it and it's yours to do with as you please."  Riddick looked at her in shock.

"Two million?" he asked as he stood up, bringing her to her feet as well. He approached her and she unintentionally took a step back making him stop.  All he wanted to do was hug her but she seemed a little nervous.  "Nobody's ever done anything like this for me.  I don't know what to say."

"At least say you're not mad at me," she said looking to the floor.  He was confused by her comment.

"Why would I be mad at you?  You screwed over a system that's done nothing but screw me over my whole life.  There's no way I would be mad at you for that."  He dared another step closer and this time she didn't move and when she looked up at him her features relaxed.  "Jack," he spoke in a hushed tone.  She looked him in the eyes and saw nothing fearful in them.  He moved in to wrap his arms around her but she stopped him.

"Wait, I have something else for you," she said as she ran down the hall to her room.  Riddick slowly walked in her direction out of curiosity.  She flew back out into the hall and nearly ran into him.  "Come on," she said grabbing his hand and pulling him to the bathroom.

"Jack, what are we doing?"  He was curious but he felt she didn't need to do anything for him.  His life wasn't worth the trouble.

"Okay, you know how guys who work in the mines sometimes get their eyes shined?" she asked trying to contain a smile.  He nodded slowly.  "Anyway, guys in prison are also getting them done as you already know…"  She was nearly jumping out of her skin with excitement.

"Spit it out, Jack."  He couldn't help but smile at how happy she looked.

"Well, some miners were looked at like they were prisoners because of their eyes so they started a project at the hospital and I was allowed to assist.  Here."  She handed him a small case.  He hesitated for a moment before opening it.

Inside, there was a pair of contacts.

"What are these?"  He knew what they were for but he didn't understand their significance.

"They will not only effectively cover the shine in your eyes but they'll correct the color problems you have in your vision.  You won't need to wear goggles as dark and you can still see in pitch black while you're wearing them."  Riddick couldn't believe what he was hearing.  His record had been cleared and now he'd be able to walk around without anyone looking at him suspiciously.  It was too much for his brain to take in.  "Why don't you put them in and I'll be back in a minute."

Jack gave him some privacy but she stayed near the door.  When, after a few long minutes he didn't come out, Jack knocked on the door.

"Riddick, you okay?"  There was no response so she opened the door.  Riddick had his gaze to the ground as Jack entered.  She hopped up on the counter and looked to the small case.  It was empty.  Her eyes traveled back to Riddick and she gasped when she saw he was looking at her.  Deep, dark brown eyes looked back at her and Jack felt the first tear slip down her cheek.

"Oh my God," she whispered.  "You know what?"  Riddick moved closer to her.  "I think this is how I always see you I just never realized it until now."  The sheer depth of his browns eyes gave sight to the soul she already knew he had.

He took in every one of her features in his now color corrected vision; the light brown of her hair and the pieces that shimmered gold at certain angles, the deep blue of her eyes, and the pink of her lips.  "You look real now," she said as she reached out to touch his cheek, worried that he didn't like them.  "You hate 'em?" she asked.

Riddick moved between her legs and rested his hands on her hips.  He could hear her breathing quicken as he slid her across the counter to him.  That was his answer.  She put her hands on his arms and looked deep in his beautiful eyes.  

Riddick gripped her tighter when she licked her lips and he kept his movements torturously slow as his lips got closer to hers.  His lips brushed almost painfully over hers, like they were on fire.  Jack moaned, wanting more but he backed away whenever she leaned in.  Not kissing her but letting their lips barely touch was not only driving her over the edge, but him as well.  He could feel her shaking in anticipation of their first kiss.  Giving in, he pressed his soft warm lips to hers and immediately her arms went around his neck and pulled him closer.

Their lips moved against each other with a heat that neither of them had ever felt before.  Riddick's tongue slipped into her mouth and she welcomed it, meeting it with her own.  Her hands had moved down to his chest as his tongue stroked hers bringing on intense sensations that made her grip his chest muscles.

Jack had no idea what should come next but decided to let Riddick guide her and that's what he did.  He pulled her off the counter and stood her on her feet only to find she wasn't steady enough so he pulled her to him.  Feeling the fullness of her breasts against the hardness of his chest was all it took to get certain parts of his body to wake up.  He ran his hands down her back and slid them over her firm ass and squeezed enough to get her attention.  She broke the kiss off then and looked up at him, breathing hard but not saying anything.  He kept squeezing her and watched as her eyes shut and her head rolled back, exposing her neck.

Jack's body was feeling very warm to the point of wanting to take her clothes off to rid herself of the heat but she knew the heat was coming from within and she knew Riddick was the cause and she didn't want to get rid of him.  

As his hands were kneading her ass Jack found herself pushing back into them, wishing he was touching her bare skin.  Keeping her eyes closed she ran her hands down his bare chest, scratching past his nipples, and down to his stomach; feeling his muscles contract when they met with her fingers.

He surprised her when he leaned in and kissed her neck making her jump but she kept her eyes closed.  He kissed her chastely at first but it wasn't long before he kissed with more desire and need; sucking along her jugular then along her jaw line.  She let her hands run around to his back and up to his shoulders.

Jack let out a deep sigh as Riddick found his way into her pants and pressed his fingers into the soft bare flesh of her rear. She's never had this kind of close contact before but she didn't feel afraid.  Jack knew all about the mechanics of sex from her training to be a doctor but she was surprised by the feelings Riddick aroused in her.  You never really learn the way sex feels by studying from a book.  The heat that starts right in your center, then spreads slowly outward, reaching all your extremities; the sudden rush of blood to your fingers, lips, nipples, and most importantly, right between the legs.

The feel of Riddick's skin under her hands only added to the intense rush of passion through her veins which seemed to trigger some sort of animal need in her.  The urge to rip her clothes of increased with every kiss of his lips against her neck.  

Jack pushed Riddick back enough so she could see his face.  His eyes were half closed, full lips slightly parted, jaw clenched, and breathing just as hard as she was.   

Riddick's hands slipped from her pants, shocking her skin as the rough cool fabric hugged her body once again.  Jack looked over his face in awe.  She has never seen him like his before.  He looked so open, so vulnerable, almost more than she probably did.  Dropping her eyes to his chest she drank in the sight of his muscles covered in smooth, golden-brown skin.  But her eyes traveled farther down, to his chiseled abs, slim hips, and stopped at the towel he was still wearing.

Riddick followed her line of sight, curious as to what she was up to.  Her breathing was still rough and he could feel her arms trembling slightly in his grip.  When she exhaled shakily he knew what she saw.  He was hard and it was obvious, pushing through the towel of its own accord.  Each movement caused the rough cloth to rub over him only further hardening him.

Jack looked up at Riddick, her cheeks flushed, lips swollen, and the unmistakable scent of arousal swirled around them.  When she smiled at him he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"So, what do you plan on doing with that?" she asked, repressing a laugh.  Riddick pressed into her, pinning her to the counter.

"What do you want me to do with it?" he asked, his voice deep and husky, and totally serious.  His erection pressed deliciously into her lower belly but she couldn't answer.  Her mind was swimming with fuzzy images of what she wanted.  She was unsure of herself and what she should do next.  Being inexperienced left her hesitant to pursue her feelings for she was worried she would embarrass herself and turn Riddick off.

Riddick noticed the timid look in her eyes; he's seen it before. She was afraid.

"Come here," he said gently as he backed away from her.  He took her hand and led her down the hall to his room.  Jack went willingly because it wasn't him she was afraid of.

Once in his room Riddick sat down on the bed and positioned Jack between his legs.  She put her hands on his shoulders and took a deep breath.

"What are you feeling?" he asked.  Jack looked to the ceiling as if the answer was written on it.

"Nervous," she answered in a small voice.  Riddick slid his hands up her legs to her hips.

"Close your eyes," he said as his hands continued up her body to her waist and up further to brush the sides of her breasts.  Jack did as he asked but twitched slightly as his hands brushed over her.  "Relax," he whispered.  "It's just me."  Jack forced her body to relax but her grip remained hard on his shoulders.  "Now…really think about it and tell me what you feel."

"I feel your hands on me."  Jack immediately felt stupid for that answer and looked deeper inside herself.  "I feel hot."

"Where?"

"Everywhere, but it's hotter where your hands are."  Jack was almost sure his touch was burning through her clothes and she would have his handprints seared onto her flesh.  

Riddick pushed up her shirt as high as he could reach and Jack finished removing it.  The cool air felt refreshing on her skin.

"Keep going," he encouraged.  Jack kept her eyes closed and thought hard.

"Uh…I can feel my body tingling.  Mostly in…uh…"  As she spoke, Riddick hooked his fingers into her pants and peeled them away from her body, pulling them down to her ankles and he supported her as she kicked out of them.  "Mostly…down there," she finally got out.  Riddick ran his fingers up her inner thigh until it reached her panties.

"Right here?" he asked.  Jack nodded her head and put her hands back on his shoulders.  Riddick laid back and took Jack with him, her lacey bra and panties scratching relentlessly on now his sensitive skin.  She found his lips and kissed him, nibbled at his lips as he fumbled with the hooks of her bra.  

All at once Jack felt the restraints loosen and her breasts fell free along with her chain that held Riddick's ring.  But another kind of restraint diminished as Riddick pulled the bra out from between them and her nipples dragged across his chest.  The cold metal of the ring made Riddick's skin break out in goose-bumps as it moved over him.  Her inhibitions disappeared.  She knew what she wanted and she wasn't going to hold back.

Jack tore her lips from his and slid up his body until she could kneel on the bed.  That simple act didn't come without a groan from Riddick as she pushed down onto his erection.  This sudden bravery got him all worked up but he remained still.  Jack found his hands and placed them over her breasts releasing her own pent up groan.

Riddick wasn't sure how much longer he could wait.  Her nipples pressed into his palms and he pressed up to her; the animal was knocking at the door.  'Be careful,' he told himself.

Jack got the hint of his action and leaned in to him; leaning closer until their lips almost touched, then she quickly rolled over onto her back.  Riddick followed the same motion pulling the towel free from his body in time to meet her bare skin with his.

"You sure about this?" he asked, desire dripping from his voice.

"Yes," Jack said, nodding.  "It's you."  Riddick met her eyes for a moment and realized that she felt something more for him than anyone he's ever come across.  The look in her eyes told him that she was accepting of him in every way.

He reached down between them and with her help, managed to slip her panties off and drop them to the floor.  She moved her legs to his hips and she felt him nudging against her, sending a jolt of sensation through her.  Riddick felt the same thing and stopped.  'What the hell was that?' he asked himself.  He's never felt a shock like that before.

Jack squirmed underneath him, rubbing against him, causing his member to slip closer to her opening.  He could feel how wet she was and it took all his concentration not to lose it. 

As slow as he could, he pushed into her, carefully breaking through her virginity.  Jack clutched at him as the pain washed over her.  He was big but the pain subsided quicker than she thought it would all because he was being extremely gentle with her.  Once he was completely inside her he smoothed a hand over her face and smiled at her.  She returned the smile and he felt her relax around him.  He waited a little longer until she encouraged him to continue by pressing her hips up to him.

Jack ran her feet over the backs of his calves and up his thighs feeling the muscles tensing as he pulled out of her.  Pushing back in, Jack wrapped her legs around his waist and moved with him in the slow rhythm he established.  The friction was building with each stroke and Jack moaned out as he pressed into her.  Riddick growled softly in her ear as she scratched her nails down his back and arched up to him.  Her vision began to swim as her belly tightened and her climax neared.

Riddick slid his hands underneath her and pulled her close to his body.  He moved harder and faster as she tensed and he angled his movements to give her more stimulation.  

Jack cried out with the suddenness of her orgasm; one so powerful it shook her entire body.  Riddick's change in movement brought it on so quickly, it shocked both of them.  Her emotions were running high and with the sparks of color flashing in her eyes, Jack cried.  She's waited for this for a long time and she was glad it was Riddick that nearly blinded her with such intense passion.

Riddick kissed her cheek, kissing away her sweet tears as they rolled from her eyes.  No woman has ever cried when he had sex with them and he understood now that this wasn't sex, he was making love to her, bringing them both so close together in body and mind that he almost got lost in the thought.

He was brought back to the task at hand when Jack licked up the center of his neck, kissing his chin; waiting for him to respond and go for her lips.  Catching her lips in a deep kiss, Riddick felt his groin tighten and he shuddered with his release, keeping a good hold of her lips with his.

Jack felt his body relax as he came down but she felt the slightest tremble coming from his lips, vibrating through her own.  When he pulled back his breathing was harsh and his face was covered with sweat.  She put her hands on his cheeks feeling the cool moisture form his effort and pulled his forehead down to hers.  Their breath mingled and for those few moments…they breathed life into each other. 

****_Gasping…well, there it is.  I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter because it was kind of hard to write.  Please review it, let me know if you liked it.  Thanks to all =)      _


	7. Chapter 7

Jack and Riddick were still in bed when the sun went down and all was dark, lying in each other's arms.  They dozed for a while but Riddick woke when Jack stirred.  She said something; too quiet for Riddick to understand then resumed her normal breathing, still asleep.  Riddick rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.  So much has happened since he got back that his mind was constantly buzzing.  Jack had done so much for him, never gave up on him, always trusted him and with a new thought popping in his head, he was about to test her once again.

He rolled back to his side and propped up on his elbow.  With strong fingers, he traced lazy shapes over her bare stomach, lightly tickling her awake.  Jack moaned and moved a little as the sensations broke through the fog of sleep.  His touch, at first, was non-existent to her but as her brain made the connection that her skin was being disturbed, she woke.

Riddick could feel a change in the air around him as Jack's heart rate and body heat increased with the normal process of waking up.  She moaned again and rolled to her side cuddling into him.  Riddick draped an arm over her, kissing the top of her head.  He felt her lips on his chest, half kissing half dragging them up to his neck.

"Hi," she whispered as she reached his jaw.  Riddick tightened his arm around her.

"Hi," he replied.  His voice sounded rough, cutting through the blackness of the room.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked, tracing his lips with the tip of her finger.

"I don't know…a while," he said, kissing her finger as it passed.  Jack pulled herself up the bed so she was at his eye level even though she couldn't see him.  

"Are you okay?" she asked.  Riddick brought his hand up and put his finger on her lips, dragging it across the soft flesh.  He couldn't stop the feeling that traveled down his arm, taking over his body and pushing him closer to her.  Kissing her warm lips through his finger caused Jack to melt against him.  She took his finger into her mouth and rolled her tongue over it as he continued to kiss her lips.

Riddick pulled away from her and watched as she sucked on his finger.  He shifted uncomfortably as other parts of his body stirred with jealousy. He tried to remain focused on his new plan but the attention she was giving his finger was driving him mad.

Jack felt him moving and stopped sucking, sliding his finger out of her mouth.

"Something's on your mind," she said matter-of-factly, kissing the tip of his finger before letting go.

"Yea," he said dropping his hand to the bed.

"Talk," she said.  Riddick took a deep breath.  This shouldn't be this hard.

"I've been thinking about what to do with the money you gave me…" Jack ran her hand over his stomach inching her way down, making him lose his train of thought.  He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers.  He wouldn't be able to get through this if she kept touching him like that.  "When I was gone with Trey, he showed me the ropes of his transportation business.  And I've decided I want to start up one of my own."

"Riddick, that's great!" Jack exclaimed as she sat up.  The moon had come up, bathing them in a soft blue glow.  The sheet slipped off and Riddick took a moment to admire the curves of her body as her skin glowed in the natural light.  He shook his head to get back on track and sat up.

"It's gonna take a lot of work to get this going.  I'll have to by a ship, find a suitable crew…" Jack cut him off.

"I thought you didn't trust anyone.  How are you going to find a suitable crew?"  Riddick smiled.

"Trey has connections plus I know a few people."  His smile faded with the next part.  "I'm gonna have to go away for awhile to get this all sorted out.  It's best if I leave tomorrow."  Jack snapped her head around.

"What?" she asked in a whisper.

"I won't be gone as long as before.  Only a few weeks."  Jack searched his face in a desperate attempt to find that he was kidding.  But he wasn't.

"Can I come with you?"  Jack winced as her words came out childish.  She knew the answer as soon as Riddick looked away.

"You need to stay her and get certified."  Jack turned away from him and pulled the sheet up to her chin and closed her eyes.  She finally got to be with him and now he was leaving…again.  

Riddick reached out and stroked a hand over her shoulder and down her back, feeling her flinch a little.  He expected that.  

"Look, Jack.  I want you to be head of medical on our ship and that means you need to be certified."  Jack felt her heart melt at the sound of 'our' ship.  She turned back to face him and even managed a smile.

"What kind of transport ship is this going to be?" she asked.  Riddick felt relief wash over him as she warmed to the idea.

"It's going to be a low-profile, high-class armored transport."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, those high-class people, you know, the ones with money and a lot of political power or some shit like that, want to travel without it being known, best way to go would be on a low profile ship with a crew trained to protect.  I'm talkin' low profile.  Everything about our business will be handled with extreme discretion."  Jack's smile became real as she watched Riddick's eyes light up as he talked.  This would be something he would be good at and she knew he would succeed.

"Okay.  I'm all for it but…" Jack trailed off as she moved in closer to him.  "Do you have to leave so soon?"  Riddick touched her cheek with his fingers and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"The sooner I leave the sooner I can come back to you."  Jack placed the palm of her hand on his chest and let it slip down to his stomach, watching the movement with her eyes.  She moved it even lower, dipping under the sheet that barely covered him.  

Riddick looked down at her hand as she began stroking him and growled out his approval at the sight of her touching him.

"But we just got started," she whispered, her voice husky.

"Baby, we have all night," Riddick purred.  He pulled Jack to him and laid them both down.

Riddick made love to her until the pre-dawn breeze blew in through the window; never tiring of listening to her call out his name, how her soft body felt against his, how she moved with him to an unheard rhythm.  He was gentle with her unless she asked for more, kissing her with a deeper passion than he's ever known with anyone else.  For the first time in his life, he felt in his element with her, like he's always belonged here.

****************************************************************************** 

The sky outside lightened to a dark shade of blue, a sign of the impending dawn and Riddick's departure.  Riddick pulled himself out of bed and away from the warmth that Jack had given to him.  

He looked at her lying in the darkness, his contacts not constricting his night vision.  She was right when she told him he would still be able to see in the dark while wearing them.  Instead of the usual alternating shades of pink, purple, and black he was accustomed to, the colors now appeared to be just a deeper shade of the original.

Riddick tore his gaze away from Jack and quietly slipped out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom for a shower.  He'd wake her when he was done but right now, she needed her sleep.

Jack woke to the feeling of a feather light touch trailing over her cheek.  She didn't feel Riddick get out of bed but when he touched her, it brought her senses to life.  Her nerve endings tingled as her sense of touch and smell worked overtime to process who was touching her.  She knew, even before she was fully awake that it was Riddick.  There was something electric in his touch that her body stored away in her memory.  She would always know

She smiled and slowly opened her eyes.  It was still dark in the room but this time there was no silver glow penetrating the darkness.  That came as a shock to her; to discover just how comfortable she had become with his shined eyes.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hi," she replied reaching out into the blackness to find him.  Her hand brushed against his shoulder and she used it to pull herself up and into his arms.  He held her warm body against his and stroked her back while she cuddled into his neck.  They were quiet then, just enjoying the feel of each other.

Riddick knew that this time would be harder to leave.  They were closer than ever and although he didn't quite understand these new feelings, he did know that he didn't want to be away from her.  Jack was feeling the same way.  It was obvious how she was clinging to him; her desperate attempt to hold back the inevitable.  This was the best thing to do and they both knew it.

Surprisingly, Jack pulled away first.  The room was lighter than before so now she could barely make out his features.

"Almost time, huh?" she asked, sadly.  He nodded.  "I just wish that in the process of bettering our lives, we could at some point stay together."  Riddick rested his forehead against hers.

"Still worried I might not come back?" he asked.

"No," she said shaking her head.  "I'm worried you won't be _able to come back."  Riddick sighed and pulled back._

"Jack, there's a reason we made it off that planet and a reason I was able to clear my name and make it back to you the first time."  Jack watched him intently as he spoke, at the way the increasing light brought his face into focus.  "There's a reason why I was bit and poisoned and a reason why you pushed so hard to save me."  His voice took on an eerie quality, making Jack shiver.  "I don't know why, but I do know that we can't change our fate and we can't stop it either."  Jack looked away as she thought about what he had said.  Fate hasn't been too kind to her in the past but maybe she was looking at it wrong.  "We can't stop living because we're afraid of what might happen."

"Since when did you discover a deeper meaning for life?"  Jack asked, meeting his gaze once more.  Riddick looked at her in silence, as if contemplating his answer.  He already knew what his answer would be, it's just that the words sounded so foreign to him, but he answered her anyway.

"Since I met you."  He took her face in his hands and pulled her to his lips, kissing her deeply before she had time to respond.  But she did respond, by kissing him back.  By exploring his lips and mouth with her tongue, drinking up every parts of him in desperation.

She placed her hands on his and moved them away from her face.  Riddick felt himself resist but she wasn't pushing him away, she held tightly onto his hands as she guided them around to her back.  Riddick caught on and pulled her tight against him just as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Jack stopped kissing him and rested her cheek against his.  An onrushing torrent of emotions flooded through her, leaving an odd ache fluttering in her chest.  Every time it fluttered it pushed the tears closer to the surface.  She held on to Riddick, clutching his back with her small hands, forcing herself to focus on the fact that he was here with her now, not that he was about to leave.

Riddick had just shaved, leaving his face and head smooth and it struck Jack as funny that a man like him, so rough and intimidating, could be so soft.  Not just in the way his skin felt but by how gentle he was when he touched her, as if he might break her.  She wouldn't break.  Jack was a lot stronger than she realized.

Jack moved her hand from Riddick's back, placing it on his neck as she slowly rubbed her cheek against his soft warm skin.  Her hand drifted down, dragging her fingers over the smoothness of his neck and pressed her hand to his chest.  They sat there motionless for awhile but Riddick reluctantly pulled away…it was time to go.  Jack didn't question him when he moved her off his lap.  She remained on the bed and watched as he slipped a white v-neck shirt over his head and slid the material down over his sculpted muscles.

Riddick grabbed his boots and sat down next to Jack on the bed to put them on.  She moved closer to him rested her head on his shoulder.  He paused briefly when he felt the contact, her heat burning through his shirt but he continued on.  When he was through, he stood up and went for his bag, grabbed it and tossed it on the bed.  He looked around the room his hands on his hips, thinking of something then left the room.

Jack pulled his bag over to her and looked inside.  She found another one of his shirts and pulled it out and brought it to her nose.  Inhaling deeply she found it was completely covered in his scent.  She quickly put it on nearly drowning in it and moved the bag back to its original place.

Riddick walked back in with a small case in his hand and stopped when he saw Jack wearing his shirt.  She looked up at him and smiled.

"You don't mind if I keep this one, do you?" she asked sweetly.  Riddick shook his head.

"No, I don't mind," he said.  Jack stood and closed the short distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist.  His strong arms wrapped around her and held her close.  He brought his lips close to her ear and lightly brushed against them.  Jack let out a soft moan and then her body shivered as his rough voice tickled her ear.

"I have to go," he started and felt Jack's arms tightened around him.  "I'll keep in touch."  Jack looked up at him, resting her chin on his, tears glistening on her cheeks.

"Okay," she said sadly.

"Try not to worry about me."

"Okay."  The tears were flowing freely but she smiled through them.  "Hurry back."  Riddick nodded and wiped the tears away, kissing her on the lips.  She returned the kiss, keeping it simple.  His lips were hot against hers and she closed her eyes hoping she wouldn't forget what it felt like.

Riddick kept his arm around her as he broke the kiss, took a few steps to the bed, threw the case he was holding in his hand into it and grabbed the straps.  Hefting the heavy bag onto his shoulder with his arm still around Jack, he led them from the room and to the front door.  Their steps didn't falter as they walked but they were both tense.

Riddick had to remove his arm from Jack to open the door.  Cool air breezed through the door caressing Jack's bare legs but she didn't notice.  Her attention was on the man she loved, on his dark animal beauty, his intelligence and strength, and the safety he provided. Riddick moved in for another kiss, one that was much shorter than the last one but Jack welcomed any kind of contact. 

He was now having to force his body to walk out the door and Riddick wasn't used to not having control over his body.  He gave her one last look and left.  Jack shut the door quickly and ran for the window to watch him leave.

The sun was up but people weren't out yet and Riddick was the only soul on the street.  Jack's eyes were on him and she observed how he looked cautiously in every direction except back at her but she didn't take it personally.  She knew, as well as he, that if he looked back he wouldn't be able to leave.

Jack felt an emptiness creep into her heart as Riddick disappeared around a corner knowing it would be weeks before she would be able to feel him next to her, the tingle of her skin as he touched her, the shiver she'd feel down her spine as he whispered to her.  Her nights were going to be long and lonely.

With a heavy heart and a deep reluctance, Jack turned away from the window and once again immersed herself in her work; more determined now to finish her certification before Riddick got back.

Studying and working took up all of Jack's time and she was exhausted.  She worked out but it was with less enthusiasm than before.  Her body just couldn't get into it and she felt like she was dragging all the time.

Imam had come home but it was only long enough to tell her that he was leading a religious group and that he would not be coming back.  He only came by to make sure she was okay and to inquire if Riddick had returned.  Jack told him what was going on between them excluding the details and he wished them well.  Happy that Riddick was turning into the man Imam had hoped.

Jack was sad to see him go; her heart felt heavy with the pain of being away from the only two people in this Universe that she felt deeply for.

Riddick contacted her when her could but sometimes he would go three or four days in between calls.  The next time she talked to him she told him about Imam.  He listened intently but half way through Jack finally noticed how tired he looked.

"I shouldn't keep you," she told him.  "You need to get some sleep."  

"I'm okay," he replied.  "Just busy but I wouldn't miss seeing you for anything."  His voice came out deep and scratchy.  Jack wondered how long he'd been awake as she placed her fingers on the vid-screen.  Riddick did the same.  He looked happy, smiling warmly at her and even though they were separated by thousands of miles, he still made her insides melt.


	8. Chapter 8

****Thanks for all the reviews…you guys are great.

Jack was sick.  It was test week and her nerves were shot.  One mistake and she was out.  Getting certified like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and if she blew it, she'd have to go to a regular school for like ten years.  But she was smart and she could handle it right?  It only took one little slip up to screw her over and wasn't fate always waiting in the background to be tempted?

There were five days of intense testing.  They would be watching how she handled the pressure physically, mentally, and emotionally.  The hours were long but that was all part of it.  She managed to surprise herself and everybody else when she proved to them time and time again that she was more competent than most of the current staff.  Jack was still sick.

Riddick called the week before and told her it wouldn't be too much longer.  She was really getting antsy about seeing him and as hard as she tried, she couldn't help the tears that fell before they had said good-bye.

He had said, "Don't cry, Jack.  I'll be home before you know it and I won't leave you again."  His words were comforting but her heart ached so bad it did little to console her.

Pushing Riddick from her thoughts, Jack crawled into his bed, hugged his pillow close, and went to sleep.

************************************************************************            

"Good work today, Jack," Rena, Jack's supervisor called out to her.

"Thanks," Jack said with little enthusiasm.

"Go home and rest.  Try not to let all this get to you.  I know you'll be able to get through this.

Again Jack said, "Thanks."

Walking home today for her wasn't like it used to be.  Dark clouds loomed over head threatening rain and the wind whispered through the trees making Jack shiver.  All she wanted to do was take a warm shower and climb into bed.  Her appetite was non-existent at the moment and food was the last thing on her mind.

The first drops of rain began to splash down on her as she reached the apartment and the thunder rumbled closer with every flash of lightening.

Jack quickly avoided the rain and got into the apartment before the downpour hit.  She stood in the living room for a moment listening to the rain pounding against the roof and occasionally hitting the glass windows.  The sound was relaxing and Jack closed her eyes.

She has always liked the rain.  The way it smelled, the way it sounded as it hit various objects outside; the amazing show the lightening put on and how the thunder seemed to come from every direction.  Jack didn't know how long she stood there but she felt a lot better than she had earlier.

Jack kept the lights off as she made her way to the glass double doors that led to the balcony.  She looked down to the ever-darkening streets and watched as the rain made small rivers of water that ran down the road.  The lightening flashed bathing everything in its light and there was movement that caught Jack's attention.  Someone had come around the corner, not slouching against the rain but walking in a determined manner.  Jack squinted her eyes to get a better look and her heart stopped when she fully understood who it was.

She pressed her hand on the glass not daring to believe but she couldn't help herself.  The walk was unmistakable.  Graceful yet powerful.  Strong and fearless.  Riddick.  Jack didn't wait for him.  She took off in a run and fled from the dry warm apartment, down the stairs two at a time and into the onslaught of rain.

"Riddick!" she screamed out as her clothes and hair became soaked through.  Riddick's steps wavered for only a second when her heard his name called.  Jack was running to him, splashing through the puddles oblivious to anything around her except her goal.  Him.  It took all his self-control not to run to her.  He still had his pride.  The distance seemed too much so he lengthened his stride and within seconds she was in his arms.

She cried as he held her, the rain wasn't even a bother to them.  They had each other and that was enough.  Jack ran her hands over his head and down to his back.  The slick feel of his skin was exquisite, her hands sliding over his wet clothes seeking out the bare skin of his arms.  

Riddick pulled back and held Jack's face in his hands.  The light from the street lamps made the rain on her face glitter like jewels as it ran down to her neck.  He kissed her, searched out her mouth with his tongue.  It had been too long and he needed to taste her to feel every inch of her.  His hands moved from her face and made their way down, passing over the fullness of her breasts, to the swell of her hips, and around to the small of her back.

She moaned into his mouth as she slid her hands up the short sleeves of his shirt.  His skin was hot and smooth; stirring up feeling in her lower belly she hadn't felt in awhile.  The kiss was so intense they never noticed the few people who slowed down in spite of the rain to take in the scene.  There was something intriguing and romantic about two people joined together in a passionate kiss during a rainstorm.

When they both needed air they pulled away and looked deep into each other's eyes.  Jack's smile was bright and full of happiness and that brought on Riddick's own smile.

"Let's get you out of this rain.  We wouldn't want you to catch anything," he said.  The deep roughness of his voice took her breath away and made her weak in the knees.  She couldn't find her own voice so she just nodded her head and held on to him as they hastily walked back to the apartment.

As soon as the door was closed, Riddick had Jack in his arms again, sliding his hands into her wet hair to hold her still while he explored her mouth.  Drinking up her taste until he was overwhelmed by the essence of her.  Jack broke the kiss and took a step back causing Riddick to stumble forward, not expecting her to move.  He opened his eyes and cocked an eyebrow at her as she reached for his hand and pulled him down the hall to the bathroom.  Riddick silently allowed himself to be dragged along, mesmerized by how her clothes were clinging to her, revealing her lush curves he ached so bad to touch.

The lights in the bathroom were only on at 30% but it wasn't to protect Riddick, he was wearing his contacts.  The dim lighting brought on a sensual feel to the room only aiding in raising Riddick's body temperature.

He reached out to touch her but she gently moved his hands back to his sides and smiled mischievously at him.  Riddick wasn't sure how long he'd be able to comply with her wishes but for now he could handle it.

Jack stepped away and slowly began peeling her clothes form her body, starting with her shirt.  Riddick's eyes went immediately to her hands as she pulled the shirt up revealing bare slick skin.  His fingers twitched at the sight and he let out a deep groan.

Goosebumps broke out over her skin as that deep rumble of his vibrated through her, freezing her movements as a chill filled her veins leaving heat in its wake.

Riddick took that opportunity to step closer, barely able to brush his hand over her shoulder before she put her hand on his chest and pushed him back.  He released a sigh of frustration as he shifted uncomfortably in his wet clothes.

Jack raked her eyes over his body, taking notice of how tense his muscles were, straining against the tight material of his shirt.  Water from the rain ran down his arms in small rivulets, dripping off the tips of his fingers.  She needed to taste him more so than the need to put him through this torture.  Jack took his hand and brought his fingers to her lips, flicking her tongue across them, feeling a sort of delight when she heard a hitch in his breathing.

"You're killing me, Jack," he said in a gruff voice.  Jack looked up at him.

"No I'm not," she said sweetly, taking another pass over his fingers.  Riddick leaned his head back against the wall and let out a breath.  Maybe she wasn't killing him but if she kept it up, she just might.

Riddick was painfully aroused as Jack started sucking on his fingers to the point that he reached down to adjust himself, trying to get some relief but it ended up only intensifying that arousal to a burning peak.

"Shit," he groaned out, clenching his jaw.  Jack abruptly pulled his fingers from her mouth and started unlacing her boots before stripping out of her pants.  Her movements were hurried because she didn't want to push him too far.  He remained against the wall but she could tell if she didn't start on his clothes soon, there wouldn't be much left after he got through with them.

With her bra and panties joining the pile of clothes on the floor, she brought her naked self right up to him and grabbed the bottom of his shirt.  He kept his eyes closed but his muscles rippled as he restrained his movements.  Jack pushed his shirt up revealing those sculpted muscles she would never tire of.

"Lift your arms," she said, sounding out of breath.  He did as he was told, raising his arms so she could finish removing his shirt.  She tossed it on the floor as he brought his arms back down.  Jack took a moment to look over his thick arms, finely developed chest, and his chiseled abs.  The remaining water made his skin glisten in the dim light, making Jack lick her lips.

Crouching slightly, Jack started at his belly button and ran her tongue up the center of him, brushing her erect nipples against his skin as she reached his neck.  She could feel the pounding of his pulse, throbbing heavily against her lips as she latched on and started sucking to a slow rhythm.

Yea…Riddick though his was dying but the pain was so sweet he wasn't sure he would mind this kind of death.  Jack's breasts were pressing into him as she fumbled with his zipper, pulling him closer to the edge as the softness of her body filled his desire level to the top.  He didn't understand where all his control was coming from.  Especially when she pushed his pants down past his hips and further past his knees and her breasts bumped into his erection.  He held his breath and held back the need to move, to pull her to him and finish what the animal wanted.  But instead, he watched her unlace his boots, help him get out of them, and slide her body back up his.

Jack looked up into his eyes, the deep brown pools showing so much intensity yet they now revealed his vulnerability, which to Jack, made her desire for him so much stronger.  She took one of his hands and pulled him to the shower, reached in to turn it on and when the temperature was just right, pulled him in with her.

The warm water did little to relieve the sexual stress and Jack wasn't helping.  She ran her lips over his jaw to his ear, tasting him, tasting the water that now tasted like him, feeling him shiver as she nipped at him.

Riddick couldn't take it anymore.  He turned his head and found her neck and began putting her through the same torturous pleasure she was inflicting on him.  But his lips barely made contact with her neck when she pulled back.  He groaned again in frustration.

"You're pretty insistent, aren't you?" she asked as she reached for the body wash.  Riddick bared his teeth and growled at her.

"Ya think?" he said sarcastically.  Jack ran her soapy hands over his chest shutting him right up.  She moved downward in slow circles, massaging his muscles as she went, making sure to skip the part he really wanted her to touch.  Riddick turned his face upward into the spray of water and closed his eyes.  His body was humming in anticipation for the release he was hoping she'd give him, but it was all up to her.

Jack could feel he was anxious and she wanted to tell him how much her body was needing his touch but she liked the temporary power she had over him.

"Relax baby," she said.  "You were outta here so fast last time I never really had a chance to get to know you."  He gave her an almost imperceptible nod and forced himself to relax.  The path her fingers and hands took recorded every detail of his chiseled body into permanent residence in her mind.

Jack turned him around and got more soap to start on his back.  She deeply massaged his shoulders, trailing her hands down his arms.  With his eyes not on her, Jack felt more at ease looking over his form, lingering where she wanted.  A smile played about her lips as she felt his taut muscles loosen beneath her expert hands.  Riddick dropped his chin to his chest and exhaled a long breath, placing a massive hand on the wall.

"That's it," she coaxed.  "Let me take care of you."  She worked her way down and cupped his firm ass.  The feel of it brought the dull ache between her legs to a forceful throb and it released a shudder that weakened her knees.  She leaned her forehead onto his back and closed her eyes, fighting off a dizzy spell as her hands slid to the backs of his thighs and slowly around to the front.

Although his body was relaxed, he was still very hard.  Jack felt she'd tortured herself and him enough so she ducked under his arm and came around to his front.  Riddick had remained amazingly patient but as soon as she pressed her lips to his, his patience broke and he moved.  His hands came to her hips and he pulled her body right up to his.  The kiss deepened with the want of release they were both striving for and their tongues entwined as the friction between them built.  Every slight movement of Jack's body sent shock waves to his most sensitive part.

Jack snaked her hand down his body and squeezed in between them to wrap around him.  Riddick's body jerked from the contact but slowly eased into the stroking rhythm Jack had going.  Her hands worked him as they kissed, squeezing, pulling at him until he had trouble kissing, all his concentration was focused on one point.  Jack licked at his trembling lips and tried to suppress a smile as she discovered more human qualities about him.  He wasn't just the tough emotionless animal most people saw, but underneath it all, he was liked everybody else.  A simple touch by the right person affects him like most others, exposing him to the intense needs of a body and a person with a soul.  It was new territory for them to be treading through alone…but they weren't alone, they had each other.

Riddick's deep voice brought Jack back to the task at hand…literally.  "I don't think you want to keep doing that."

"Oh yes I do," she replied as she continued stroking him.  She felt his hands on her arms sliding up to her shoulders as she watched his eyes glaze over.  The shudders that wracked his body increased as he did his best to hold back, trying to keep himself from losing it.  But Jack's deft fingers moved over his wet skin brining the sensations in his body to a breaking point.  She kept her eyes on his face and watched as his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Don't hold back…just let it go," Jack whispered, catching his lips with hers.  Riddick kissed her back, pushing his tongue into her mouth, attempting to get the power back that she had taken.  It worked…for a few seconds.

Jack's hand slowed down as the taste of him made her weak.  She leaned heavily against him as he explored her mouth, feeling her power dissipate but she snapped herself out of it and pulled away.

Riddick's breathing was ragged as she resumed her rhythm and it nearly stopped when she slid her lips down his chest and flicked her tongue over his nipple.  

"Mmmm, God," he moaned out.  His last remaining power completely drained from him as she sucked on his nipple.  The pressure of her hand increased as he grew even harder than he was before 

Jack rested her cheek on his shoulder and cuddled into his neck as he throbbed in her hand only seconds away from release.

Riddick felt the heat start in his belly making the muscles in his legs start to quiver…then it burst forward.  He put one hand on the wall and the other on the glass door, bracing himself against the rush of sensation that flooded his body.

Jack could feel the oncoming release.  She moved a hand around to his back and up to his shoulder, holding him to her.  He was holding his breath and she didn't realize she was too until she felt his body jerk and his hot juices spilled over her hand.  Finally letting go of his breath, Jack let go of hers as well, holding tightly to him as he groaned with each spasm.

As Riddick's head cleared and his breathing slowed, he found his voice.

"Told ya you wouldn't wanna do that," he rasped, his voice shaky from his orgasm.

"And I told you I would.  It's exactly what I wanted."  Jack let go of him and ducked back under his arm again as nonchalantly as she could.  Riddick followed her with his eyes and turned around when she got behind him.  She began soaping herself up as if she were alone, as if he wasn't standing right behind her.  He waited and watched the soap run down her back and her legs.  They weren't through yet but she was pretending they were.

When Jack reached over to turn off the water, Riddick stopped her, wrapping one of his arms around her waist and pulling her to him with a wet slap and leaned in close to her ear.

"You can't tell me that that was all you wanted."  His husky voice sent chills though her.  "I know you want more, Jack.  Why are you trying to deny it?" he asked as he ran his hands over her breasts and down to her stomach.  He halted his movements, resting a big hand on her hip as he continued to speak.  "Come on, Jack.  Do you think I would let you put me through all that torture and not want to return the favor?"  He didn't sound threatening; he was working on the last nerves of her sexual tension.  Jack couldn't answer him and when she tried his hand started moving over her again; this time slipping between her legs.  Her throat went dry and all she could manage was a small gasp and she felt Riddick smile against her neck. 

"See, I knew you wanted more," he purred as his fingers slid though her wetness.  She looked to the ceiling and unintentionally moved her hips towards his probing fingers.  A jolt of pleasure swept upward making her sensitive nipples painfully erect as his fingers touched her swollen nub.  

Riddick chuckled quietly as he felt the power surge back into him.  His teeth grazed her ear purposefully rough just to feel the goose bumps break out over her skin, delighted that the simple power of his touch could bring about whatever reaction he wanted.

Jack put one of her hands on the back of his neck and the other gripped his forearm that was anchoring her to him.  Riddick didn't have much work to do.  A few passes over her and she began to tremble so violently that he thought he was hurting her, but when he moved to a less sensitive spot she grabbed his wrist.

"No," she breathed.  "Don't stop."  Riddick smiled and resumed his position, sucking at her neck as she pulsed against his fingers.  Her release hit her fast and hard.  The gates opened wide as the orgasmic stream of heat pushed through, slamming into her like a sledgehammer.  The mere force of it expelled a cry of surprise that came ripping from her throat, Riddick's name came out with it in jumbled pieces.

The water pounded onto her as her orgasm continued to crumble her walls of sanity.  She felt fear as she stepped into a realm she's never been to.  Finding a total and complete release of her sexual needs just by the aid of Riddick's fingers.  Her mind was lost in oblivion as the pounding of her heart sent surges of blood rushing in her ears, temporarily deafening her.  It was the sound of Riddick's voice that gave her a way back.  As her surroundings came back into focus she could hear Riddick calling her name.

"Jack," he said into her ear.  Jack looked around her, at the pale tile walls; the water streaked glass, and finally back at Riddick.  "Jack," he said again with relief.  "You okay?"  Jack turned around in his embrace and wrapped her arms around him.  "I thought you blacked out or something."  Jack buried her face in his neck and closed her eyes, suddenly very exhausted.

"I think I did for a second there," she said.  Riddick's deep laughter reverberated through his chest and into her but her wasn't laughing at her.

"Looks like you needed that more than I did."  Jack managed to laugh at that a little.

"Well, it's been six weeks and once you get a taste of Riddick, that's way too long to wait for the next one."

"A taste of me, huh?"

"Uh, huh," she answered.

"I guess I better make myself more available to you then," he said as he pulled back the glass and reached out for a towel.  He wrapped it around Jack and rubbed his hands over her back to help dry her.

Jack looked up into his eyes and smiled at the warmth she saw in them.  She continued to hold onto him as he backed out of the shower and he held her steady as she stepped out.  Her body felt strange and uncooperative as she held the towel closed.

Riddick watched her carefully in case she stumbled or her knees gave out.  There was a definite change in her that he couldn't quite figure out.  But the longer he looked at her the more concerned he became.

"Did you stop working out, Jack?" he questioned, not sure where to start.  Jack's head snapped up and she glared at him.

"How the hell can you tell!" she yelled defensively.  "I mean I didn't stop working out entirely I'm just not doing it as much.  Shit, is it that obvious?!"  She pulled open the towel and looked down.  Riddick looked over her body, taken aback by her outburst.  "Is it?" she insisted.  Riddick put his hands up in defeat.

"Jack, you're forgetting who you're talking to," Riddick said calmly.  Jack's demeanor softened as she remember how heightened his senses were.  "And it wasn't a complaint," he said taking a step closer to her.  "You feel good.  I like you better this way."

Jack was embarrassed by all this.  She had noticed that she had become a lot softer since he'd been gone.  Her curves had become more prominent and her breasts were now fuller but she didn't think he'd notice.  She wrapped the towel back around her and held it tightly closed.

"Please, Jack.  I didn't mean to make you feel bad," he said as he pulled her towel open.  She didn't resist as he let it drop to the floor.  He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her but she ended it quickly.

Riddick sighed when she turned her head away from him.  He moved his hands over her breasts squeezing gently, testing the softness before smoothing his hands down over her stomach and around to her hips.  He got down on his knees and planted little kisses around her belly button and trailed them over to her left hip.

Jack placed her hands on his head, feeling the roughness of his unshaven scalp.  The anger slipped away as she felt his hot cheek on her skin as he pressed it to he hip.  Tears filled her eyes as she looked down at the most wonderful man, seeing him in a rare moment, down on his knees before her…on his own.

Jack slid her body down his and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to hide the tears from him.  But when she started sniffling…he knew.

"Don't cry.  I'm here."

"I know.  I don't know why I'm crying.  Maybe I'm just tired."  Riddick moved her hair from her face and ran his fingers over her cheek.

"Let's go to bed.  We can talk tomorrow after we get some sleep."    


	9. Chapter 9

Funny patterns of light streamed in through the window and settled warmly on objects throughout the room including Riddick.  Sun-lightened shapes were scattered across his bare chest and arms making his deep golden skin appear to glow.  As the sun rose, the shapes moved lazily up his body to caress his face, waking him when they reached his still closed eyes.  He didn't wear his contacts when he slept so he was exposed to the unrelenting light from the blinding sun.

Groaning quietly, Riddick threw and arm over his eyes and reached out his other to the space next to him to find it empty and cold.  He reached blindly for his goggles and slipped them over his silver eyes.  It would be awhile before he was used to the fact that he didn't have to wear them as much.

Riddick sat up and listened for any noises in the apartment and couldn't hear anything but he knew Jack was still there…he could smell her.  Putting on his pants, he walked silently out of the room and down the hall.  As he passed the bathroom, the sweet scent of Jack's shampoo filled his nose and he faltered in his steps for only a second.  She wasn't in there but the scent of her, he realized, had a strange affect on him like nothing he's ever felt before.

He stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and watched Jack, sitting at the table, face resting in her hands.

"Hey, Jack," he said as he walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.  Jack looked up at him and smiled as he kissed her on the forehead.  His eyes caught sight of what appeared to be her breakfast.  A bottle of Pepto sat half empty on the table.  "Nice breakfast," he commented.  Riddick headed for the counter to get some coffee.  "You okay?"

Jack let out a breath and looked over at him.  "I'm fine.  Just with test week and all, I've been a little stressed."  Riddick leaned against the counter and tilted his head.

"Why are you so worried?  You're smart, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten this far."

"I know, but if I screw _one thing up, I'm out and that means going to a regular school for like ten years."  Riddick looked her over curiously._

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.  Jack smiled weakly at him.

"Not really.  I'll feel better as the day goes on.  By the time I get home tonight I'll feel almost normal."  Jack had been feeling like shit since test week started.  At night she was okay but as she slept, the nervous tension began to build, filling her sleep with strange dreams that made her toss and turn.  And sure enough by morning, she was sick as a dog.  Luckily she only had two more days of this.

Riddick felt that wasn't the whole story but he wasn't going to force the issue.  His first thought was that she was regretting her involvement with him but that thought didn't last long.  She was a strong girl and if she didn't want to be with him, she wouldn't stay.

Riddick walked back to the table and pulled out a chair to sit in.  He stroked his fingers over the pale skin of Jack's cheek, feeling the heat as a blush colored where his fingers touched.  

Jack closed her eyes and leaned into his palm.  She could feel her heart beat quicken with his simple touch and really wanted to ask what it did for him.  The fact was, you didn't touch someone if you really didn't want to, so he must want to.  

Jack moved out of her chair and into his lap wrapping her arms around his neck.  It didn't surprise Riddick like he thought it would that she would do something like that.  He wrapped his arms protectively around her and snuggled into her neck.  Her scent overpowered him once again and his body began to shake with overwhelming feelings.  Jack didn't take notice to the almost none-existent tremors that wracked his body, she just held onto him tighter.

It was so perfect, in his arms wrapped in complete safety.  She felt better now, the cloak of sickness lifting away.  He was her drug, making everything better.  She didn't understand how he could make her feel this way by just holding her.  Most of his life was lived in darkness in one form or another, moving as one with it, becoming part of it.  But when he held her, he made her darkness disappear, bathing her in a comforting light.

She wanted to stay like this so bad but she had to go to work, she wanted to finish test week and be over with it.  So, reluctantly she pulled back and stood up.  Riddick kept his hands on her hips as she did, not really wanting to let her go either.

"What time will you be home?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Probably around six...just depends," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'll be here," he said as he stood up and pulled her into his arms again.  "I want you to meet the crew tonight and we need to go over the details.  Our first run is Monday."  Jack pulled back enough to look into his protected eyes.

"That soon?" she asked.

"Yea, is that okay?"

"Oh…yea.  It's totally fine.  I guess I just figured you had to finish up some stuff."

"Nope.  Got it all done while I was gone."  Jack smiled.  She wasn't sure why she thought he wouldn't have it all done.  This was Riddick.  He didn't just leave things hanging; he always finished what he started.  Including the kissing he had begun on her neck, moving to her lips he kissed her softly but with so much power, Jack almost gave up on everything she'd worked so hard for just to stay with him.  But…he broke it off and turned her around, nudging her in the ass to get her moving.  He reached down and grabbed her bag and headed for the front door with her.

She opened it and stepped out into the cool morning but quickly turned back to him; leaning in to get one last kiss before she left.  It was meant to be quick but as soon as their lips met, Riddick was filled with that intense need for her and he pulled her back to him, kissing her with a fury that had her holding onto him as they explored each other.  

Separating breathlessly, Jack backed away, keeping her eyes on him until she reached the stairs.  She had to hold onto the railing because her body was weakened by his show of power.

Riddick watched her until he couldn't see her and started back into the apartment when he noticed across and down the hall a young man and woman standing motionless, staring.  He could see the woman was affected by his show of affection towards Jack, her mouth hanging open slightly, eyes glazed over.  The man on the other hand looked like he didn't have a clue as to what she was gawking at.  He couldn't help smiling at them, a smile that said, 'yea, I'm gettin' it, and I'm likin' it'.

************************************************************************

The day couldn't have gone any slower.  Jack was on automatic, seeing patient after patient, going through each motion as if it was no big deal.  Her thoughts, however, kept landing on Riddick.  It was like her mind and her body were two separate entities, but it was good because it took her mind off feeling like shit.

Halfway through the day, Jack took off her watch and put it in her pocket to keep herself from looking at it every few minutes.  It's not like she was stuck in a time loop or anything, even if it did feel like it, and Riddick would be home when she got there.  She wasn't worried; she just couldn't wait to see him again.

Finally, with work done for the day, Jack went home.  Her heart was tripping almost painfully in her chest as she neared the apartment and she had to force herself not to run the last couple blocks.  By the time she reached the front door she was out of breath as if she had run.

It was warm inside and the scents Jack had gotten used to were different now.  With Riddick back, he was all she could smell.  But then the smell of food invaded her nose making her stomach roll.  She leaned heavily against the door and waited until the nausea passed.

Riddick stepped out of the kitchen when he didn't hear Jack move away from the front door.  Worry flickered briefly over his features as he took in the paleness of her face.  He was still as he listened to her breathing shallowly; a cold sweat had broken out over her body that he picked up on as easily as the food he'd been cooking.  Just as he was about to approach her she opened her eyes and looked right into his.  Her gaze was as heavy as if she had placed her hand on him, caressing his face in a soothing way that only Jack could do.

Jack closed the short distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist.  Riddick closed his eyes, enfolding her in his arms, holding her in the quiet of the room, in the safety of his embrace.

Jack sighed in content as his deep velvety voice broke the silence.

"Glad you're home," he said.

"Me too."

"How'd it go today?" he asked.

"Fine."

"Like I thought it would."  Jack looked up at him and kissed him on the chin.  Riddick dipped his head so she ended up kissing his lips.  The sweet taste of her flooded his mouth and his senses became alive.  He kissed her back, deeply, as if he'd been deprived of the sensation his whole life and was just discovering it.

His large hands roamed freely over her back and down to her hips.  Jack made little noises against his mouth as she smoothed her hands up the front of his shirt and around to the back of his neck.  Riddick pulled her in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet, slipping his tongue into her mouth to quench his thirst for her.

A loud beeping sound froze them in place.  They pulled apart and slowly turned their heads towards the source of the noise.  It was the vid-phone.  For a second they remained that way until the passion faded slightly enough for a little common sense to settle in.

"It must be someone from the crew.  I left this number in case they needed anything," Riddick said as he set her down and walked over to the vid-phone.  He stopped halfway there and turned around.  "Are you hungry or anything?" he asked.

"No, not right now."

"If you want, we can go meet everyone."

"Sure, just let me change."  She headed for their room unaware that Riddick was still watching her until she was gone.  The beeping sounded again bringing him out of his trance.

They walked to the docks hand in hand, the cool night breeze gently kissing their bare skin.  Jack soaked up her surroundings, looked up at the glittering stars in the sky, looked up at Riddick, who smiled but didn't look back at her.

His hand was warm in hers but he didn't keep it there for long.  Soon it was on her shoulder then he moved it to the small of her back.  He seemed restless, like he couldn't find the place he wanted his hand to be.  Not nervous because Riddick didn't get nervous; at least he didn't show it.

Ever since their incident in the shower the night before, they hadn't done anything else.  They were both tired and had fallen right to sleep once they were in bed wrapped in each others arms and with Jack gone at work all day she didn't get to see him.  She wondered if he was itching to get into her pants as much as she wanted to get into his.  Maybe that's why he was so fidgety.

Jack smiled to herself as she slid her hand over his ass and left it there, feeling the muscles working beneath his pants as he walked.  That got her heart pounding and her blood pumping, throwing her into a daze so she didn't notice that Riddick was watching her.

He looked at her profile, felt her hand on him, and smelled the air around them scented like Jack; forcing back the urge to drag her down every alley they passed and fuck her the way he wanted, in the darkness, in his element.  It wouldn't be long though, he was feeling little twinges throughout his body every time he looked at her and they were only getting more intense.

They finally reached the ship and Jack stopped to look at it, eyes wide, smile on her face.

"Wow," she said, walking slowly towards it.  The outside was a shiny black and Jack couldn't resist touching it, running her hand over its smooth surface.  Behind her Riddick shifted as he grew hard at the sight of her hand gliding over their ship.  With a quiet growl, Riddick shook the thoughts and feelings away and walked over to the ramp, unlocked it and listened as it descended.  Jack stepped up beside him and linked her arm through his.

"So how many people are there?" she asked.

"30, which you'll meet later.  I have files on all of them you can look over.  But for now you'll meet the ones you'll be seeing a lot of.  First there's Ellie."  Riddick started up the ramp with Jack in tow listening intently.  "She's going to help head up the medical department with you."

"Ellie…" Jack said quietly.  "Okay."

"Then there's the pilot, Julian and Eddie is the co-pilot.  Crystal is working navigation and mapping but I'll be helping with that."  Jack's eyes wandered around the hallway trying to take everything in she was seeing and what Riddick was telling her.  The ship was big and she had a feeling she'd be lost for a few days.  "There are five men heading up security, although, everyone on the ship is trained to handle any security issues."

They stopped at a door and Riddick pulled out a silver card and swiped it before entering the code.

"You'll have your own access to every door on the ship," he explained as he noticed her eyeing the card.  The door slid open and Riddick stepped inside.  "You're my backup, Jack.  If for some reason someone can't find me, they'll look for you.  You'll know everything I know."  Jack nodded and smiled at him.  He must trust her a lot to put her in that position.

The room was big, filled with a lot of equipment Jack had never seen before and would probably never use.  There were three men in the room working on various things that looked up when they heard the door open, nearly standing at attention when the saw it was Riddick.

"Jack, I want you to meet our pilot Julian and co-pilot Eddie," Riddick said as Jack shook their hands and said 'hi'.  "And this guy here," he said, turning her to the last one, "is Taylor.  He's the lead of our security team.  You need anything, you can ask him."  Jack shook his hand also, looking him over.  Taylor was almost as big as Riddick but the air about him was calm and comforting.  Unlike the intensity and seriousness one might feel in Riddick's presence.  A feeling Jack was very at ease with.

"Did your gear arrive?"  Riddick asked Taylor.

"Yea, Daven is picking it up right now."

"Good.  We got two days."

"We'll be ready boss."  Jack watched the interaction between them and to her; it looked as if they used to know each other a long time ago or something.  Riddick acted so personable with him that it baffled her.  She'd have to ask him about it later.

Riddick took her hand and pulled her back to the door.  They were silent as they walked through the halls.  Jack was feeling a little overwhelmed by all this so she held tightly onto Riddick and let him lead the way.  He stopped shortly after at another door and released her hand.

"Okay," he said looking over at her.  "This is our place."  When the door slid open, Jack stepped into the entryway of their new 'home' and her mouth dropped open.  The place was done in neutral colors making the room look warm and cozy.

"I love it!" Jack exclaimed as she moved through the room examining the details.  Riddick couldn't help smiling at the way she was smiling.  It made him happy to see she like the place because this is where they'd be calling 'home' for probably the rest of their lives.  Normally, Riddick would feel weird about wanting the same woman in his life forever but when he looked at Jack, he wouldn't have it any other way.  They fit so perfect together, she could tell what he was thinking, even if she didn't realize it, and he could always tell what she was feeling.  It would always feel new to him when he was with her and he hoped she wouldn't get bored of him.

Jack had finished in the living room and the kitchen and was now heading back to the bedrooms.  Riddick lingered in the hall as she had a look at the spare bedroom and bathroom, leaning casually against the wall watching the way she moved, wanting so bad to feel those new curves of hers.

Jack winked at him as she stepped out of the bathroom and walked across the hall to the master bedroom.  Riddick almost tripped over himself as he hurried after her; that wink was all the invitation he needed.  When he got to the room Jack was nowhere in sight.  She had slipped into the master bath so Riddick took a deep breath, shook the tension out of his arms, cracked his neck, and sat on the bed to wait.  He didn't have to wait long.

Jack gave the command to turn the bathroom lights off and stepped out of the darkness.  She kept her steps slow and deliberate, swaying her hips slightly as she went; keeping her head down, looking at Riddick from beneath her long eyelashes.  Riddick kept still as she got closer, feeling the familiar tighten of his pants as desire filled him.  He wouldn't let her tease him this time; he's waited too long for this.

When she reached him she put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed, signaling him to lie back.  As he did she let her hands trail over his chest and abs, but she pulled back when she reached his pants.  Riddick had propped himself up on his elbows and watched as she started pulling her shirt up.  When she couldn't see him Riddick made his move.  He sat up and grabbed her hips.  His sudden movement startled Jack and she jumped but Riddick held her steady.

He hooked his fingers in her pants and pulled them down.  Jack's arms were still half way up, frozen there as she watched him unlace her shoes and help her out of them.  When his eyes traveled back up to hers, she suddenly became shy, covering her stomach with her hands.

Riddick sighed and shook his head as he took a hold of her wrists and pulled her arms away from her body.  Jack bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes as a heated flush spread over her skin.

"Jack," he whispered deeply.  "Look at me."  She reluctantly opened her eyes and looked at him.  "Don't hide from me," he said gently, releasing her hands.  "You never have to hide from me."  Jack's inhibitions slipped away with the feel of Riddick's hands moving up her legs and over her hips.  She wasn't sure where her shyness came from but he made her feel comfortable again.  All she wanted to do was please him, give him whatever he needed.  No teasing tonight.  She needed to feel the animal in him.

"Don't be gentle with me," she said, her voice husky with deep arousal.  "I'm all yours."  Riddick was prepared to be gentle with her but the way her voice sounded and her direct orders changed what he had in mind for her panties.  In one swift move, he ripped them clean away from her body, breathing in the scent of her desire as it was released into the air.  He had to hold back a little or she might be hurt, hell they might both be hurt, but he let the beast out just a bit.

His gripped tightened on her waist and he pressed his forehead to her stomach as his other hand fumbled with his zipper.  Jack's body tingled at the sight of Riddick's aggression.  She left her bra on because she wanted to feel the tug and snap of it as he tore it from her body.

Riddick gave up on the zipper and went for his shirt instead.  He pulled it over his head and threw it to the floor.  When he looked up at Jack, the first thing he saw was another piece of clothing she needed to be rid of.  He reached up with one hand and gripped her bra in the center, keeping his eyes on hers.  Her breasts were pressing against his fingers as she breathed short and fast.  He pulled back faster then she thought possible, breaking the hooks in back and freeing her of the self induced restraints.

Her breasts bounced free and Riddick eyed them hungrily, taking in the size and fullness of them.  Jack straddled him and pressed one of her nipples to his mouth needing him to take it.  He licked at it bringing it to a hardened peak.  She moaned with each lick but she desperately wanted more.

"Come on Riddick.  Don't be gentle," she said through clenched teeth.  Riddick was panting as he took her nipple fully into his mouth.  Sucking at first but then he bit down on her enough to make her gasp and grip his shoulder hard.  The sensation shot spikes of pleasure to her core, bringing on a sudden rush of wetness between her legs.  He must have been able to smell her arousal because his hand immediately went right to the source just to see for himself.  The shock of his touch depleted her strength and she fell heavily against him.

With Jack's body pressed against him, Riddick leaned back until they were lying down.  Jack had pulled away from him enough to release her nipple and found his mouth with hers.  He sucked on her tongue as she moved in rhythm with his hand, nearly putting voice to the panting she was letting out.  

Riddick removed his hand which brought a halt to her breathing.  He ran his tongue over her lips and along her jaw as he made another attempt to undo his zipper.  Jack braced herself with her hands on the bed so he could use both of his hands to finish the job.  He kept sucking at her neck as she rubbed her sensitive nipples over his chest changing the location of desire from down below to up above.  She knew if he touched her just right, he would send her into an orgasmic abyss.

Riddick groaned loudly as he freed himself from his pants; the cool air providing some relief.  Jack tensed slightly as she felt the tip of him rub over her.  He shifted his position and slid into her with a deep growl.  Jack gasped in pleasure as he filled her and began moving inside her.  She put her hands on his chest to hold herself up as he pushed into her with force but it just didn't seem enough for her.  His pants were rubbing against her thighs so she leaned forward and wiggled enough to move them out of her way and settled her rear back onto the soft skin of his quads.  Her adjustment didn't interrupt his movements, his eyes were closed in concentration and his hands gripped the sheets at his sides.  

It was a race to the finish as she matched his movements but he beat her to it, stilling suddenly inside her and releasing a groan of relief.  His muscles tightened and relaxed as he came.  Jack kept moving, pressing against him to bring on her own ending, which came faster than she expected.

She cried out as wave after wave swept through her body, the force driving the air from her lungs.  Jack half laughed half cried as her body eased itself down from her orgasmic high and she fell onto Riddick completely spent.  

Riddick wrapped his arms around her and held her shaking body close to his as his mind reeled with the reality of the situation.  This soft caring woman in his arms, the freedom he's finally been able to enjoy, and all this came about because of another woman.  Carolyn.  She gave her life for his and it gave him a second chance to really become the man he was supposed to be.  The man he was supposed to be for Jack.

He let out a deep breath as his heart rate returned to normal.  "Shall we meet the rest of the crew?" he asked, his voice coming out a little rough.  Jack pushed herself up and smiled.

"Okay, but I need to get cleaned up."


	10. Chapter 10

They met the rest of the crew as they continued their walk through the halls after Jack tried to salvage some of her underwear, which was nothing.  Whenever they passed by one of the crew, Riddick would stop them and introduce them to Jack.  She smiled pleasantly and tried really hard to remember all their names.  Riddick didn't seem to have any problems with remembering their names.  In fact, he remembered details about them; not that it came to a surprise to her.  He seemed to remember everything.

Jack held onto Riddick's hand while he talked to Taylor, who they had run into again.  Her eyes drooped closed as the tiredness of her body begged for attention.  She half listened to the men as they talked even though she probably should have been more attentive.  Right now it didn't matter to her.  She wanted to sleep, there was too much for her to take in on top of everything else she had to deal with.

Riddick could see out of the corner of his eye that Jack had closed hers.  He moved his hand from hers and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Looks liked someone needs some sleep," Taylor said.  Jack leaned into Riddick and smiled, opening her eyes just a little.  "I won't keep you guys," he continued, giving Riddick a friendly slap on the shoulder.

"I'll be by tomorrow morning after I see her off to work," Riddick said pulling Jack even closer.

"Sounds good.  I'll see ya then," Taylor finished as he turned and left them.  Riddick looked down at Jack, his brow creasing in thought.

"You want me to carry you?" he asked her.  Jack pulled away from him and tilted her head slightly.

"Sure.  How 'bout a piggy-back?"  Riddick turned around and glanced over his shoulder.

"Hop on."  Jack put her hands on his shoulders and jumped up onto his back, squeezing his waist with her thighs.  Riddick didn't even stumble, didn't even move; he is so physically solid that Jack's weight was nothing to him.  If she didn't have her arms wrapped around him and wasn't breathing down his neck, he might not even notice she was there.

Her warm hands on his chest and her soft warm body pressing into his back made him very aware of her.  He put his hands behind her knees and began walking to the ramp, his mind wandering back to her and the differences he's seen in her.  She was so energetic the first time he came back, flipping him over her shoulder and pinning him to the ground.  He remembered vividly the way her hard muscles pressed into him while he was laying face first on the floor and the strong scent of adrenaline that filled his nose when she leaned in close to whisper in his ear.  He was even aware of the exact moment when she realized who she was lying on top of.  The adrenaline he could smell that was running hot and thick through his senses became cold and that's when he turned the tables on her.

But now she looked and acted so different.  She was tired and the sparkle in her eyes seemed to have faded a bit, yet she insisted she was okay and if she didn't know what was wrong there's no way Riddick would be able to figure it out.  He only hoped that she knew he would be there for her whenever she needed him.

The walk back to the apartment was quiet as Jack dozed on Riddick's shoulder.  Her body became slack as sleep took over but she kept a pretty good hold of him.

Riddick managed to open the door without having to put her down and headed back to the bedroom.  He loosened his grip on her legs and let her slide down his body.  As soon as she felt herself slipping, Jack grabbed him tighter and woke with a start.

"It's okay Jack.  I got ya," Riddick said reassuringly.  Jack looked around the room until she figured out where she was.

"We're home already?" she asked through a yawn.  Once her feet touched solid ground she sat down on the bed with a sigh.

  
"Yea, we're home."

"I don't even remember the walk here," she said, covering her mouth as another yawn hit her.

"I'm gonna take the contacts out.  Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good," she answered, closing her eyes again.

When Riddick came back Jack was sound asleep, curled up on the bed her hair having fell over her face.  Riddick crouched down beside her and brushed the hair back, his fingers lingering on her throat, feeling her pulse thumping slow and steady.  He moved down to the end of the bed and removed her shoes, tossing them carelessly to the floor.  Putting a hand on her hip, Riddick rolled her onto her back so he could get her pants off, which came without any protesting from her except for a small mewling sound.

As soon as her pants were off, Jack brought her knees back up to her chest and shivered slightly.  Riddick stood up and stripped out of his clothes and climbed in next to her.  Sensing a warm body, Jack rolled over and snuggled up to his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist.

After getting comfortable and a few minutes of stroking Jack's back and running his hands through her hair, Riddick fell asleep.

He was the first to wake to the darkness of the room, the night still hovering outside the window but he knew it was close to the time Jack would be getting up.  He stretched his body out to chase away the stiffness in his muscles and reached over to turn off her alarm.  He didn't want Jack to wake to that awful buzzing sound; he wanted her to wake up to him.

Jack had her back to him still sound asleep.  He moved closer to her and lightly ran his lips over her neck and up to her ear.  She didn't move.  Riddick increased the pressure and trailed little kisses down to her shoulder, moving her shirt down so he could get to her skin.  She stirred this time, wiggling beneath the pressure of his lips.  A smile spread over her face as she rolled onto her back.  Riddick continued to kiss her wherever he could reach while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Good morning," she purred.  She relaxed into him, running her hands over his smooth back and shoulders.  His only response came as a growl.  "I could get used to waking up like this every morning."  Riddick pulled back and looked her in the eyes.  The shimmer from his shine job made her shiver in surprise and excitement.  She placed her hand on his cheek in a gentle caring gesture.  "I really could."

Riddick didn't say anything as he pulled her into a hug, closing his eyes as the feel of her consumed him.  They were quiet as they held each other, wanting to stay like this just a little longer, but time was ticking away and Jack really needed to get up.

Riddick didn't protest when she pulled out of his embrace even though his body was.

"Let me make you breakfast," he said as Jack looked down at what she was wearing.  She looked at the floor around her seeing her clothes lying around and shook her head in amusement.

"No breakfast for me," she said as she gathered up her things.  "It'll make me sick."  Riddick sat up in bed and looked her over.

"What's wrong, Jack?" he asked.  The worry in his voice made Jack stop what she was doing and look over at him.  Concern was etched on his face and it started to make her worry.  What _was_ wrong with her?  The way she was feeling couldn't be right but she pushed the fear from her mind before it took over her rational thought.

"Nothing's wrong," she assured him.  "Just a little stress."  She turned away from his stare and began looking around the room for something that wasn't there just to avoid his eyes.  Riddick didn't look convinced and Jack felt the weight of guilt resting on her shoulders but she couldn't figure out where the guilt was coming from.  "Uh, I gotta take a shower," she said quickly, feeling his eyes on her as she left the room.

Riddick sighed and fell back on the bed, putting his hands behind his head.  After they were well into their first run he was going to find out what was wrong.

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Riddick walked Jack to work that morning; something he's never done before, and when they got there Riddick pulled her into a deep passionate kiss, not bothered in the least that they had an audience.  As soon as they were through and Riddick left, Jack was bombarded with questions and comments from her co-workers about the tall dark and handsome mystery man she was with and why nobody has ever heard anything about him before.  Jack carefully answered their questions without revealing who he really was because even with a complete makeover of his file, didn't mean people would suddenly forget about him.

****************************************************************************

Riddick briefly checked on his crew and the ship before heading back to the apartment to pack everything up.  His stuff was easy considering most, if not all of it was still on the ship.  Jack's things took a little longer.  She had books, videos, little trinkets she'd been collecting over the years, and a lot more clothes than he had.

As he was taking the clothes out of the drawers something slipped out between the folds and fell to the floor.  Riddick put the clothes on the bed and crouched down to pick up two pieces of paper.  He turned one over to find that it was the letter her had written to her a long time ago.  The memory brought a smile to his face.  The other was a picture of him while he was sleeping with the sheet barely covering his nude body.  He was on his back; head turned slightly with one arm down at his side and his other hand lying flat on his chest.  It was strange to see himself like this; actually looking peaceful.  He never thought he would ever look like that.

Riddick bit at his lower lip trying to think of when Jack could've taken this without waking him up.  She could hardly move around the apartment without him knowing.  The question continued to dance around in his head as he put the photo and the letter into his pocket and went on with the packing.

******************************************************************************

Jack burst through the doors of the hospital and stepped into the golden light of the sun as it settled down beyond the hills into slumber.  She was finally finished and she aced test week, now fully certified and she couldn't wait to tell Riddick and start a whole knew adventure with him.  

  
This time she did run home and was gasping for breath as she stumbled though the door and into an empty apartment.  Panic rose quickly in her gut as two thoughts came to mind.  One, they were robbed, or two, Riddick had packed up and left.  She immediately felt guilty for ever thinking that Riddick would just leave her.  Since she's known him, he's never lied to her or made her doubt him in any way.  She wanted to beat herself senseless until that thought never came back again.

Taking a cleansing breath, Jack walked through the apartment and looked in every empty room; memories came flooding back to her about the time she's spent here and all the things she's learned and experienced.  The wonderful things Riddick showed her when he made love to her the first time and the human side of him she got to see.  How she felt and all that she knew came from this place and it would forever be held in her mind.

Jack stood in the empty silence of Riddick's room and breathed in the last remnants of his scent, closing her eyes as the emotions flashed bright colors behind her closed lids.  So caught up in the moment, in her feelings and thoughts, Jack wasn't aware that she was no longer alone.  Yet when a hand touched down on her shoulder she didn't jump, wasn't scared…she knew who it was. 

Without opening her eyes, Jack turned around and molded herself to the form standing behind her.  She knew she was right when she felt the familiar contours of muscle covering his chest and stomach; the way she fit into the crook of his neck, and the strong safe arms that wrapped around her shoulders.

"So?"  Riddick asked slowly just above a whisper.  Jack pulled enough away to look up at him and smiled.

"Passed," she simply stated, grinning like she's never grinned before.  Riddick pulled her to his lips and kissed her, tasted her, feeling elation filling him as well as her. Her hard work had paid off and now there was nothing out there that could keep them apart.  Or was fate really waiting in the shadows to put another twist in their lives?


	11. Chapter 11

****Sorry this took so long to get out.  I've been working a lot and I've had no time let alone motivation or inspiration.  So any thoughts you want to send my way are very welcome. 

Jack leaned casually against the side of the ship, waiting patiently for the others to return from their first pick-up.  Her expression was that of boredom but it was for the benefit of those that passed by on their way to or from one of the other docking bays.  She scanned the crowd with ever-watchful eyes, trying to remember everything Riddick had taught her about what suspicious activities to look for.  So far she had seen nothing.

The pick up spot was predetermined and Tarak, the expert in surveillance, was sent ahead the day before to stakeout the area.  He made Jack very nervous in the way that you never hear him coming.  Jack never heard Riddick either but when he was around she could feel him.  Her skin would warm up and start to tingle if he got close enough.  Tarak could walk into a room and step up right behind you and you would never know it until you turned around and ran right into him   She could see why Riddick chose him.

After what seemed like forever the transport arrived.  Jack finally released a deep sigh of relief as she watched Riddick step into view but she didn't let her guard down.  She wanted to rush into his arms and hold him, putting everyone at risk at the same time and that wasn't going to happen.

Riddick made eye contact with her for a split second before turning his attention to the Senator and his wife, keeping them close as they walked to the ship.  Yet it didn't look like Riddick was trying to protect them, just a casual walk to the docking ramp.  Nobody had dressed extravagantly so no unwanted attention was drawn to them.

Daven had their bags and was pulling up the rear with Taylor, both of them glancing nonchalantly in either direction.  Tarak would be the last to arrive.  He was watching for a tail and would do so until he got back.  The last two of the security team, Nick and Adrian were running scans on any tracking device that someone might be using…they were in the green.  

The others on their crew took over and escorted the Senator and his wife to their room and would get them settled.  Riddick came back down the ramp and stood next to Jack to wait for Tarak.

"How ya doin'?" he asked.  Jack glanced over at him.

"Better now that you're back," she said, a little more emotionally than she intended.  Riddick kept his eyes on their surroundings but he reached down and took Jack's hand.

"I'm here, Jack," he said.  "I always will be."

********************

A week had gone by and they were at the end of their first run and so far everything had gone well.  Jack became very comfortable with the staff and especially with Ellie.  She was ten years older than Jack but it didn't matter, now she had someone she could relate to and it didn't take long for them to develop the beginnings of a friendship that would last the rest of their lives.  Jack trusted Ellie and that's why she buzzed her this morning.

Jack was pacing the living room of her cabin after Riddick had left, trying to push back the panic that was slowly rising in her.  She figured if she kept moving she could stay ahead of it but it was still there, nipping at her heels.

When the buzzer on the door sounded Jack nearly jumped out of her skin. 'That was fast' she thought as she hurried to the door to open it, meeting the worried expression Ellie had on her face.

"I hurried as fast as I could," she said, sounding a little winded.  Jack moved back from the doorway so Ellie could come in.  "You sounded freaked…what's wrong?"  The door slid shut behind Jack and she moved back into the living room and began pacing again.  Ellie took a seat and watched her.  She had her hands covering her eyes and when she ran them through her hair, Ellie saw the tears she was holding back but she waited patiently while Jack found her voice.

"I'm pregnant," she said.  Two words said deep and sad but with so much behind it.

"Does Riddick know?" Ellie asked carefully.  Jack shook her head no and hugged herself.

"I just found out."

"You guys weren't using anything?"

"It never occurred to either of us," Jack said.

"This is a good thing, though.  Isn't it?"  Jack gave her a small shrug of her shoulders.

"I don't know if this is what he wants.  I don't know how he'll handle being a father."  That word nearly knocked Jack on her ass.  'Father'  Riddick a father.  She just couldn't picture it.

"What do _you_ want?"  Ellie asked.  Jack looked at her feet for a moment before answering.

"I want this baby and I want Riddick to be a part of its life… a part of my life."

"Then you need to tell him."

"I'm afraid to.  I don't want to ruin what we have," Jack said as the first tear slipped past her well-guarded emotional block.  Ellie stood and walked over to Jack and put her hands on her shoulders.

"How does Riddick feel about you?"  Ellie asked.  Jack swallowed hard and looked down.

"Honestly, I don't know."

"Sure you do."

"Well, he's never said what he's felt for me and I haven't told him what I'm feeling…" she trailed off as her lower lip trembled with the realization of how stupid she was for not telling him that she loved him.  Ellie's heart broke at the sadness Jack was feeling.

"Granted I haven't known Riddick long but I do know that he is a man of very few words.  He's very physical but even with body language, it's still hard to tell what he's thinking."  Jack nodded her head in agreement, her body starting to shake as she held back the drive from her over-forceful emotions.  "Think about it Jack," Ellie continued, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Jack's ear.  "How is he when he's with you?  Is he gentle…sweet?  Does he _show_ you what he's feeling?"

"Yea, I guess he does," Jack said quietly.

"Okay then, after we land and finish this job, bring him back here and tell him you love him.  Tell him everything you're feeling and tell him about the baby.  Don't be afraid.  I'm willing to bet you you'll get all the answers you need and he won't have to say a word."

Jack wiped away the tears and ran a hand over her stomach.  She could feel the life she and Riddick created, growing right beneath her fingertips.  Ellie looked down also and smiled.

"Do you want me to examine you?" she asked.

"Maybe tomorrow."  Jack's brow furrowed as she thought of something.  "You know, you'd think with me being a doctor that I would've known I was pregnant.  I have all the symptoms but no…didn't have a clue."

"That's because sometimes you don't recognize the most obvious symptoms in yourself.  If it were someone else, you would've recognized it immediately.  I know, it's strange."  Jack absently looked around the room, breathing in the smells, feeling the tingle of memories as it tickled its way through her brain.  Thinking of Riddick and the way his presence alone silently demands the attention of everyone in the room and the genuine smile he seems to save only for her.

Suddenly she was feeling a little excited to get him back here that night and talk to him.  Maybe do a little more than talk.

"Well," Ellie said, interrupting Jack's thoughts.  "I'm gonna get a few things ready for landing so I'll see on the main deck in 30."  She gave Jack a hug and turned to leave but Jack stopped her.

"Thanks," she called out.  Ellie gave her a sweet smile.

"Anytime," she responded as she headed for the door again.  Jack hurried to her room to get dressed.  She wanted to see Riddick before they landed, just to be near him.

The halls were filled with the crew as they prepared for arrival and she nodded or said hi to them as she passed.  She walked to security, swiped her badge and stepped into the quiet coolness of the room.  Julian was working on something at the far end of the room and Eddie was sorting through some files at one of the tables.  Riddick was off to the side mapping out their next run, all dressed up and looking fine as hell.  When they did a pickup or a drop-off he always looked his best

He was wearing black slacks, black thick-soled shoes, and a white button down long-sleeved shirt tucked in.  Pretty simple but he made it look professional.

She walked silently to him but as soon as he froze she knew that he knew that she was there.  As she got closer she could see him smiling as he went on with his work.

Jack looked at what he was doing letting her chin rest on his arm near his shoulder.  Riddick turned his head to look at her, bringing them nose-to-nose.  He was still smiling and his brown eyes had a sparkle to them.  Jack could smell the cologne he had bought while he'd been gone; her eyes fluttered shut as it filled her nose and warmed her body.  She couldn't help the sigh that worked its way up from her chest.

Riddick leaned in and kissed her on the lips, feeling the heat of her trying to coax a sigh out of him.  When he pulled back he licked the taste of her from his lips.

"You taste good," he commented, turning back to the star charts.

"So do you," she whispered.  She watched as his hands moved over the maps, making marks here and there with such precision that Jack was amazed.  He was so smart it was almost scary.

"Okay," he said, straightening to his full height.  "We're all set for the next run.  Julian and Tarak will shuttle out to the pick-up spot tomorrow and we leave in four days."

"Sounds great," Jack said, putting her arm around his waist.  Satisfied with his work, Riddick turned his full attention on Jack.

"We have a few minutes," he began, turning her to the door.  "I wanna show you something."  Jack eagerly went with him, relaxing into the idea of him…of being with him forever, raising their child together and becoming the family she's always wanted but never had.

Riddick opened one of the doors they came across and Jack stepped through, instantly enfolded in the darkness.  It was so deep and thick it moved around her as if alive, as if she could reach out and touch it.

The darkness reached out for her and wrapped around her waist, pulling her to the solidity of its being.  There was nothing she could see, she could only feel.  She was engulfed by its blackness yet consumed by warmth.

A weight pressed against her lower back and moved upward to her shoulders, trailing down her arms and entwining with her fingers.  The darkness pressed against her forcing her to take a step back…and another until she hit the wall.

The heat surrounding her almost became suffocating but she found she was always able to breathe.  A wet heat sought her mouth and drank from her, relieving its thirst for her, drinking up everything about her and she kissed back, giving all she had.

The pressure slipped from her fingers and slid between her legs, warming itself with the fire that had started up inside her.  Her heart pounded in her chest as her other senses became enhanced to make up for her loss of sight.  Every whisper of a touch sent chills through her and the familiar scents she picked up sent a little electric buzz to her aroused parts.

She was lost in the cloaking black of the room and for a split second she was afraid of the dark but unsure why.  The dark was Riddick, Riddick was the dark.  This was his life and he wanted to share it with her, and she fully accepted that; pulling her clothes from her body and inviting him in.

Jack was standing on the main deck with the others as Riddick gave out the orders while the ship landed.  The docking bay was secure according to the scans they were running but that always didn't mean safe.  That's why Riddick insisted his orders be followed exactly but he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.  His animal instincts were trying to tell him something was very wrong.

The crew descended the ship and part of the security team split off to make sure the area was in fact secure.  This was a busy time of day and there were a lot of people bustling around.  As soon as the Senator's feet hit solid ground he spotted a man he knew and broke off from the group.  His wife called out to him catching the attention of Riddick and Jack.  Riddick made a move but Jack, being closer, got to him first.

She grabbed him roughly by the shoulders from behind and turned him back to the group.  In that instant Jack's body jerked violently and she fell to her side, taking the Senator with her. 

Riddick shouted out to Tarak, "Upper west corridor!"  Tarak was already moving, along with Daven and Nick.  Although there was no sound, Riddick figured a shot had been taken and with his instincts now screaming in his ears, he knew where the gunman was.  The whole scent and feel of the perpetrator had invaded his senses moments before Jack had gone down.

Finally at Jack's side, Riddick gently took her arm and helped her to her feet.  Taylor had the Senator and was hurrying him off to a safer place.  A few people had slowed down and even stopped to see what all the commotion was but it was the farthest thing from Riddick's mind.

"Jack, are you okay?" he asked once she was standing.  He ran his hands over her arms and turned her this way and that looking for any signs of an injury.

"I think I'm okay," she answered, sounding unsure.  She felt out of sorts and in complete shock.  As she moved her head and her arms she could feel a pinching in her chest near her collarbone.

Ellie rushed to them when she saw Riddick helping Jack up, tripping over her own feet but managing to stay upright.

"Jack, Riddick, are you guys hit?" she asked, looking them both over.  Jack tried to shake away the dizzy spell that began to consume her as she took a few tentative steps forward.

"I'll be all ri…"  Jack never finished that sentence.  Instead, she fell forward as all color faded from her sight and all the sounds around her disappeared, dropping completely from her conscious world.

Riddick managed to catch her and he scooped her up in his arms, running to the docking bay's medical facility.  Ellie kept close behind him running easily as he cleared the path ahead of them.    ****

Riddick rushed through the doors with an unconscious Jack in his arms.  Whether it was the wildness in his eyes or the slack body of the girl in his arms that got the medical staff moving, or something else, he didn't know and he didn't care.  Riddick was apprehensive to let go of Jack when two orderlies pulled her from him but Ellie convinced him as she gently pried his arms from her.

They followed the nurses and doctors as they raced down the hall but were not permitted past the double doors.  One of the nurses told them to sit in the waiting room and surprisingly enough Riddick followed her orders.  He was in too much shock at the moment to protest anything.

Riddick paced up and down the rows of chairs and Ellie sat and watched him even though it was making her dizzy.  She was just as worried about Jack as he was but there was so much intense, red-hot anger coming off him that he was burning off enough steam for both of them.

He ran his hand over his head to the back of his neck, clenched and un-clenched his fists; his shirt was partly un-tucked and the top few buttons were undone; he occasionally shook his arms or cracked his neck attempting to relieve some tension, but it did no good.  Ellie looked him over in sadness at the emotions he was trying to hold back.  She wanted to help him but was unsure how or if it was even safe to approach him.

There was no doubt in her mind that Riddick loved Jack.  Only the worry of a loved one could make a man like Riddick this anxious.  Riddick never lost control of let his emotions slip but when it came to Jack, his control was slowly dissolving.

A strange voice broke through her thoughts making her jump and turn toward the door.

"Excuse me, are you two with," he paused, looking down at his chart, "Jack?"  Ellie stood up and walked a few hesitant steps to the man with Riddick suddenly at her side.

"Yes," she answered.

"We have her stable for now but…"

"What happened?" Riddick demanded.  The doctor looked nervously at the large man before him.

"She was hit with a tiny capsule filled with the black-market drug, Xanthia.  We were hoping the capsule was still intact when we removed it but it had shattered, spilling to toxin into her system.  It will shut down her organs one at a time…"

"Wait.  I've heard of that drug before and…" Ellie stopped in mid-sentence and raised her eyes to Riddick's.  The sad realization in her eyes deflated Riddick of any hope.  "There's no cure," she finished, looking away.  The doctor nodded slightly in agreement.  Riddick remained extremely still but his shoulders slumped down and he closed his eyes.

"How much time?" he asked, his voice coming out as rough as broken shards of glass.

"We don't know enough about the drug to say for sure.  It could be hours, it could be days," the doctor explained.

"I wanna see her," Riddick said evenly, leaving no room for protest.


	12. Chapter 12

Riddick hesitated at Jack's door almost afraid to enter.  The lights were low but he didn't notice, all he could see was Jack laying on a bed covered with blankets, tubes coming out of one of her arms.  His mouth went dry and his heart froze in place.  She looked as if she was comfortably sleeping but he knew what kind of sleep it was.

Finally making it to her bedside he pulled up a chair just as the anger welled up inside him.  This was all his fault.  If he hadn't gotten this stupid idea for this job, his sweet loving Jack wouldn't be dying right before his eyes.

As gently as he could, he carefully took her hand in his and pressed the back of it to his cheek.  It was still warm as her fading life flowed beneath the skin.  Emotions of all kinds began rising up as his body trembled with the feeling of utter helplessness.  The pain he was feeling was far worse than any injury he's ever sustained.  The ache in his chest was so foreign to him that it brought the animal rushing up to the cage he had put it in, roaring and clawing for a way out.  Jack's hand on his cheek was his only anchor to reality which was as dark as the beast inside.

Life wasn't fair and he always knew that and for the most part accepted it but now, holding onto Jack's hand as she slipped away, he realized that it wasn't life that was unfair, it was death. 

That thought angered him because he used to be the bringer of death; a cold heartless killer out there doing what he had to do to survive…to take care of only _him.  And because he's finally found a reason to put his past behind him and become the man he's supposed to be, he's going to lose the one thing in his life that he truly cares about…Jack._

Riddick closed his eyes against the sting of tears that surprisingly sprang up.  This was something he's _never felt as far back as he can remember and the burning sensation continued in his eyes and moved to constrict his throat as sorrow wrapped its icy fingers around his heart._

Riddick put Jack's hand on the bed, leaned forward so he could rest his forehead on her hip and draped an arm over her legs.  'Let the sorrow take me' he thought.  'If I don't have Jack, I have nothing'.

"I'm sorry," he whispered aloud, not feeling the first tear slip past his barrier and splash silently onto Jack's unmoving hand.  The heart monitor beeped quietly in the corner, lulling Riddick into a light sleep.

***************

Ellie found Taylor and updated him on Jack's condition; the bad news seemed to rest heavily on his shoulders and his eyes clouded over with sadness.  Everyone was holding their own sense of guilt about what happened, even Ellie.

"Our first run and it's a disaster," Ellie said as she and Taylor stood outside the medical facility.

"No, Ellie, it wasn't.  Our job is to protect and that's what we did.  Everyone did exactly what they were told to do except the stupid-ass Senator," Taylor told her, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall.  "The Senator wasn't hit…Jack was and that's because she was doing her job."

"You're right," Ellie said resignedly, joining Taylor at the wall.

"So, what's gonna happen now?" Taylor asked.

"They're running all kinds of tests to see if there's something they can do but I haven't heard anything."

"Hmmm," Taylor said thoughtfully.  "How's Riddick handling it?" 

"I don't know, I haven't gone in there yet," she said, feeling a flutter of nervousness in her stomach.  "I thought I'd give him some time alone with her."

"I'm not sure you should tell him we caught the guy because we can't afford to have him end up in prison for murder.  But on the other hand, if I were him, I'd want to meet him, maybe rough him up a bit…"  

Ellie smiled.  "I would too."

"Let me know if you need anything and if you do decide to tell him, let me know when he's comin' so I can be there with him."

"I will," she said, pushing away from the wall and heading inside.

Ellie had been debating whether or not to tell Riddick about the baby.  Would it hurt him more knowing that he was losing two people he loved; there was no doubt in her mind that he would love that baby.  As she was walking to Jack's room she decided he deserved to know.

A nurse stopped her on her way there and handed her something of Jack's that had been taken off her during the exam.  Ellie held the item tightly in her hand and proceeded down the hall.

She pushed the door open slowly and peeked in, squinting in the dim light.  Riddick was sitting in a chair, elbows on his knees and his hands covering his face.  Jack was on the bed lying motionless but the heart monitor let Ellie know that she was still alive.

She stepped all the way into the room and let the door shut behind her.

"Riddick," she said just above a whisper.  Riddick moved his hands from his face to look at her and the sadness in his eyes was actually painful to see.  "I need to speak to you for a minute."

Riddick didn't question her; he just got up and walked to the door.  Ellie followed him out into the quiet hallway and walked with him until he decided to stop.

"Make it fast," he said roughly, turning back to her.  Ellie swallowed hard trying to build up her courage.  She reached for his hand and opened it, palm up and placed a silver ring in it that was attached to a silver chain.  It was the ring he had given Jack and the sight of it tugged sharply at his heart.

"Jack was going to tell you something important tonight and I think you should know what it was," she said as she closed his hand around the necklace.  Riddick looked intently at her as he folded his arms, waiting for her to continue.  Ellie rubbed her hands together and glanced nervously around the hallway.  Her breathing was a little out of control and she had trouble finding the right words.  How do you tell someone something like this?

"Okay, uh, Jack found out something this morning that she was a little worried about…"

"What did she find out, Ellie?" Riddick pressed.  Ellie managed to meet his eyes before she continued.

"She's pregnant…with your child."  With that revelation Riddick's arms dropped to his sides and he fell heavily against the wall, the impact forcing the air from his lungs.  Pregnant.  His baby.  These things just didn't happen to him and for a reason.  Nobody has ever gotten this close to him before…before Jack.

He finally understood where her strange behavior was coming from; being sick most of the time, tired, the sudden lush curves of her body, her sexual appetite…he was a father and for the first time in his life he was afraid and happy at the same time.  His heart felt light as the sorrow loosened its grip but reality slapped him harshly in the face.  He was going to lose them both.

Ellie watched the different emotions play about his face, watched the darkness disappear from his features.  He looked happy for a second there but the sadness returned to his eyes as he slip to the floor.  His focus was elsewhere as he looked at something that wasn't there, staring into a void that his life had become.  He was giving up…surrendering to a force in this battle that was stronger than he ever would be.

Ellie was speaking to him but he barely heard her voice or the words as the pain in his chest rose to an overwhelming degree, demanding his full attention.  But his brain was still functional and her words slowly formed sentences in his mind that he could comprehend.  And when they made sense to him his blood began to boil and he willingly unlocked the cage.

They had caught the guy and it was now time for Riddick to share the pain he was feeling.

Suddenly he was on his feet and moving to the closest exit, the one Ellie had come through.  She managed to step out of the way as he barreled past her.  Reaching for her com link, she radioed Taylor.

"He's on his way."

Taylor ran to intercept Riddick but when he got to him Riddick said, "Show me where he is, Taylor and don't try to stop me.  I'll find him with or without your help."  He continued walking, slipping the necklace over his head and Taylor caught up with him, not saying anything, just leading the way.

The man was being held for questioning and Taylor quickly cleared a path to the room for Riddick, knowing that nobody would be safe if they got in his way.  He opened the door for him and they both stepped inside.

Riddick stopped just beyond the threshold and eyed the man with a look that should have killed him where he sat.

"Shader, you bastard," Riddick growled.  Taylor's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he looked over at Riddick, wondering how he would know this guy.  Riddick read the question on Taylor's face and decided he should explain.  "The Senator wasn't the target…I was," he directed to Taylor before turning back the man.  "But it's hard to believe you would be such a lousy shot.  Unless I _was_ the target and you decided to handle it a little differently."  

To Taylor he said, "Shader was one of the guards at Slam City."  Riddick moved closer and placed his palms flat on the table.  "Broke his nose a couple times, both arms and what…" he leaned in close, "a few ribs, was it?"  The man barely nodded and shrank back in his seat.  Riddick sneered at him as he moved around the table.  Taylor took a few steps to him but stopped when Riddick gave him a warning look.

"What the hell are you doing here?"  Shader was about to answer but he held back.  The scent of fear permeated the room only enraging Riddick further.  "Did they can your sorry ass?"

"Yea," he answered abruptly.  "The same day you escaped, actually _because_ you escaped."

"So you decided to track me down," Riddick said, tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully.  "Why?"  Riddick's calm questioning had Taylor on edge.  His control was beyond anything he's ever seen before under these circumstances.  But he kept his distance and watched the exchange curiously while keeping a watchful eye.

"My career was ruined because of you," he spit out hatefully.  Riddick laughed hard and loud, the rough sound of it bouncing off the metal walls completely surrounding them in the insanity of it.

"No," he said once his laughter ended.  "Your career ended because you couldn't handle yourself down there and I was just the proof they needed to give you your walking papers."

"Fuck you!" he yelled.  Riddick's hand shot out and wrapped tightly around Shader's neck.  With seemingly little effort, Riddick threw Shader to the wall and pushed in to him.

"Why Jack?!" he yelled into his face.  Taylor stepped up but didn't intrude; this was Riddick's fight and he was only there to make sure no one died.

"I knew if I got her it would hurt you more than anything," he choked out.

"What would you know about me and Jack?" Riddick asked, shaking him.  Shader's head hit the wall dazing him for a second.  "I asked you a question," Riddick said.  His voice was deep and calm once again.

"I've been watching you for a long time now," he sputtered.  Riddick reached back to the waist of his pants and pulled out his shiv, bringing it to the guy's face.  Taylor jumped at the sight of the blade and figured now would be a good time to interfere even though Shader deserved the painful death Riddick would grant him.

"Riddick," Taylor said, putting a hand on his shoulder.  "Don't do it."  Riddick ignored him and trailed the tip of the shiv down Shader's cheek drawing a thin line of blood all the way to his jaw.  "It's not what Jack would want," he continued.

"Jack's gone," Riddick said, clenching his teeth together.

"She isn't dead yet."  Riddick began another cut parallel to the first.  Shader was visibly shaking in Riddick's grasp but moved as little as possible out of fear of being cut deeper.  "You'll regret it the rest of your life if you kill him," Taylor said, squeezing his shoulder.  Riddick stopped the movement of the blade but remained poised to slice.

"I have no life," he said quietly, his voice cracking slightly with emotion.  "Not without her."  He downcast his eyes and loosened his grip as the sting of losing Jack inched its way back in, growing more intense with the thought of losing his baby.

"He'll get what he deserves," Taylor said, pulling at his shoulder.  "_That_ I can promise you."  Riddick moved the shiv away as he stepped back but he kept his hand around Shader's neck.

A commotion at the door brought their attention around just as Ellie stumbled through.

"Riddick," she gasped, out of breath from running.  "It's Jack."  Riddick's breathing hitched and his heart stopped but he found enough strength to punch Shader in the face, sending him to some unconscious world before rushing out the door with Ellie.

**** Don't be despaired, I'm not through yet.  Thanks for all the wonderful comments. =)


	13. Chapter 13

Riddick ran next to Ellie back to Jack's room while she explained what was going on.  "Jack's heart rate went erratic and her blood pressure and body temperature shot up."  Ellie dodged out of someone's way as she continued.  "The doctor's drew more blood and ran some tests only to find out there's another poison in her system."

"What?" Riddick asked, not even out of breath.  "How the hell can that be?"  Ellie had to take a moment to catch her own breath before answering him.

"All they know about it is it's not a synthetic poison like Xanthia, it came from something living."  Riddick stopped running just outside the doors to the medical facility and Ellie didn't notice until she reached for the handle.  "Riddick?"  She walked over to him noticing the faraway look in his eyes.

"Living?" he asked quietly, trying to figure out what the hell 'fate' was trying to do now.  He really wanted to strangle that bitch.

"Riddick," Ellie repeated as she took him by the arms.  "Yes, living and a weird thought keeps coming to mind," she said softly, looking away.  Riddick could see she was thinking, wondering, and maybe hoping, just like he was.  Curious about what this 'thought' was, Riddick moved into her line of sight, catching her eyes with his.  She became focused again, snapping quickly out of her daze.

"Okay," she started, taking a deep breath.  "Jack told me once that she had to take care of you because you were bit by something."

Riddick nodded, "Yea, could've died."  He was suddenly thrown back into that memory, seeing it now from a different perspective.  He remembers how Jack took care of him, dragged him out of bed, unafraid of the beast he had let out; pulled him in the shower when his fever spiked and even came in with him.

She held onto him as he shivered violently under the water and soothed him with her hands and voice…and the massage.  Holy shit!  The massage.  How could he have forgotten about that?

At the time, he saw it as entertaining the way she touched him, the way she got lost in it.  It had turned him on but it was more of his body reacting to her body.  He hadn't been sure if he _should _feel more for her, but all that has changed.

Looking back on it, his insides stirred at how she had closed her eyes as she leaned in to him, becoming more brave the more she touched him; moving her hands over his skin like she would with a lover, the changes in her breathing, the heat of her washing over him.

He suddenly realized that it wasn't just a crush she'd had on him.  She's felt something more for him for a lot longer than he had thought.  But all good things must come to an end and the sweet vision was replaced by the cruel reality of the whole fucked up situation.

Riddick was so caught up in his own thoughts that he wasn't even aware that Ellie had dragged him through the door.

"We need to draw some of your blood," she said, looking back at him when he didn't respond.  "Riddick."  She gave his arm a shake and snapped out of it.  "We need to draw your blood."  He gave her a weak nod and let her lead the way.

********************

The room was in near complete darkness except for the lights on Jack's monitor and all was silent except for the slow beeping of Jack's vitals.

Riddick sat in the chair at Jack's bedside, back to his 'old' self.  He contacts were out, eyes glowing brightly in the dark, goggles hanging around his neck.  The only way he could keep from losing his mind was to go into self-preservation mode; an art form he perfected while in Slam.  But it was hard for him to move back into that dark place.  Carolyn had found the switch to his humanity and flipped it back on and Jack shorted it out, preventing him from slipping back without a fight.

Riddick stared at the tiny puncture wound left by the needle Ellie had used to draw his blood.  Such a small mark yet it held his attention as if it contained all the answers…but what were the questions?

Ellie had something on her mind but she wasn't going to tell him just yet, she wanted to be sure of her findings.  For the first time in Riddick's life he felt impatient and he was afraid it would overwhelm him as his control began to fade away, which was something he wasn't used to.

Jack found a way; somehow, to over power him once, even though it was for a short period of time, she still had it.  To Riddick, it never felt like he'd lost control, it was more like a shared power of sorts that he discovered wasn't such a bad thing to just let her have a part of it, a part of him.

She was the only one he really trusted, the one he wanted to see every minute of the day, to talk with, to feel next to him at night; and now she was carrying a life that they created.  His heart was torn as he rested his hand over the slight swell of her belly.  The mental torment brought on actual physical pain as the thought of losing the one pure thing he'd ever done in his entire miserable life danced around in his head.

Riddick took Jack's hand and kissed it softly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.  He looked at her peaceful face, so beautiful lying there.  Riddick brushed the hair away from her cheek and trailed his fingers over her smooth skin.   He began having difficulty breathing, gasping for air as if he was being smothered and the unwanted sting in his eyes returned.

A low mournful groan escaped his throat, weakening his body and his will.  He shifted his position on the bed so he could lie next to her; snuggle up to her neck, pulling her slack body up against him.  It wasn't supposed to be like this, he was supposed to be the strong one.  He wasn't supposed to give in to grief this easily but with it being a new emotion for him, he didn't know how to fight it.  All he could do was hold onto Jack and hope that she would somehow come back to him.

********************

Ellie could not understand what she had seen and what she and the doctor were now discussing.  But as the unusual facts sunk in, she felt that small glimmer of hope creep back in and she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

Unfortunately, the hope was tainted, being there was no guarantee for anything she had discovered and now it was just a waiting game.

She ran to give Riddick the news yet was afraid of giving him a false hope that in the end could destroy him.  But with the darkness he was probably dwelling in right now, she felt he could use a little light.

Ellie slipped quietly into the dark room, leaving the door open so she could have some sort of light and waited for her eyes to adjust.  When they did she saw Riddick on the bed with Jack, his form barely visible to her.  The room was so thick with emotion that even if you weren't aware of the situation, you'd certainly know what was happening the moment you stepped into the room.

The hurt he must be feeling to expose himself like this was heart breaking.  "Riddick," she called out.  Riddick propped up on his elbow and looked in her direction.  Ellie was stunned into silence as the gleam of his eyes reached her.  She couldn't seem to catch her breath as the chill from his stare penetrated her skin.  It's not like she didn't know who he was, the whole crew knew right from the beginning, and she knew about his eyes; she's just never seen a shine job before.

"Uh, I ha-have…" Ellie took a second to compose herself and began again.  "I have some interesting news."  She watched in silence as Riddick fluidly slipped from the bed and gently fixed the sheets around Jack, smoothing her hair away from her face before reluctantly moving away.  As he approached, Ellie couldn't help but hold her breath.  The atmosphere around him was heavy and sinister and it moved with him as he gracefully took the few steps to her, surrounding her in its entirety.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone was slightly darker than she remembered.

"We've found out that the poison is still in your system and it looks like it always will be but you've grown immune to it.  In fact, it's worked its way into your gene make-up."

Riddick crossed his arms over his chest and glanced back to the bed, "And what does that have to do with Jack?"  Ellie nervously shifted her weight to the other foot.

"It's the same poison that's in Jack's body now."  Riddick cocked a questioning eyebrow at her.

"How is that possible?" he asked skeptically.

"What we're figuring, and this is just our best guess judging from the results of the amnio they did, is that when you got Jack pregnant you passed along the gene that carries that poison and now your baby has an immunity to it."  Ellie led Riddick to the chair and sat him down.  She crouched down in front of him and put her hands on his knees, making eye contact with the silver glare of his eyes.

"Mother and child share everything.  What affects the mother also affects the baby.  When she got shot…" Riddick suddenly stiffened and his breath audibly caught in his throat as he looked over at Jack.  He was gripping the arms of the chair so hard his knuckles were turning white.  Ellie didn't have to say the words for Riddick to know his baby was suffering. 

His gaze came back to Ellie's and the bright glow of his eyes dulled and shimmered slightly.

"We found something though," Ellie said, squeezing his knees.  "When the baby sensed the mother's distress it sent that poison into her system…somehow, that's when her stats went all crazy…" she trailed off, but came back quickly, wanting him to hear this next part.  "It's counteracting the Xanthia…she may have a chance."  Riddick stood up abruptly nearly sending Ellie to the floor but she recovered quickly and stood to face him.

She had a chance and now so did he.  The heavy weight that had settled itself on his shoulders suddenly lifted away making him feel light-headed but good.  He grabbed Ellie's arms and pulled her to him in a fierce hug; suddenly grateful for everything she's done, for being Jack's friend and his.  Ellie hugged him back noticing the sudden lift in his spirits and she hoped to God that she wasn't wrong about this, as far-fetched as it may seem.

"We just need to wait and see.  There's no telling when she'll come out of it," Ellie said, pulling out of his arms and putting her hands gently on his face.  Once again his eyes shimmered and now she understood why they were doing that.  It was from the tears.  So Richard B. Riddick did cry; he actually had feelings.  Ellie had more respect for him now than she's ever felt for anyone in her life.  He truly has changed his life around and as fucked up as 'fate' can be, it's the reason he was able to do it.

If he and Jack hadn't got together, she wouldn't be pregnant right now and she would surely die.  And they wouldn't be together if it hadn't been for that fateful and horrifying crash on that hostile planet.  It was almost like everything he and Jack had to go through in their lives before they even met was the only reason why they were together today.  The events in their lives were taking them on such different paths but somehow managed to curve back around, throwing them right at each other.

Riddick surprisingly didn't regret his choices in life because of where it landed him.  He would go through all the shit again just to be with Jack.  

Ellie backed away from him when she saw he was staring intently at Jack.  He didn't move at first, shocked at the turn of events, but his mobility returned and he walked to her bedside.

"I'll leave you alone with her.  Let me know if there are any changes."  Ellie backed up to the still open door and watched through her own tears as Riddick climbed back onto the bed and pulled Jack close, moving her arm so it draped over his waist.  She couldn't turn away from Riddick's show of affection, running his hands through Jack's hair, kissing her on the forehead and nose.  They were the luckiest people she's ever met but luck had nothing to do with it.  For as many years as they've been alive, this was always meant to be.

Ellie finally left them to go give Taylor the news.  Letting her hope shine through when she saw him was the only answer he needed.  He smiled at her and closed his eyes, dropping his head back, breathing a sigh of relief.  Ellie sat down with him and told him everything.

********************

Riddick wasn't sure how long he had been lying with Jack and he didn't care.  He would stay with her as long as he needed to.  His body and mind were tired but he couldn't fall asleep.  He wanted to be awake when, and if, she came out of it.

He reached for her wrist and pulled her hand up to his face, kissing her fingertips before holding her hand to his chest, over his heart.

"Please, Jack," he whispered.  "Don't leave me."  He left her hand where it was and traced her lips with his fingers, moving to her chin and then along her jaw.  As gentle as he's ever been, he kissed her lightly on the lips, lingering a moment before pressing them to her forehead.  Inside he was pleading with her to live, barely holding it together as he held her in his arms.

A couple hours later, Riddick was in the same position, lying very still as he continued to beg silently for Jack's life.  He almost didn't notice the chain around his neck shift, the cold metal sliding over his chest.  But the slight movement brought his attention downward and he stopped breathing when he saw Jack's hand wrapped tightly around his ring.  His vision blurred as he looked back at Jack's face.

Her eyes were open and looking right into his.  He smiled and let out a small whimper as she weakly smiled herself.  "God, Jack," he said with more emotion than she's ever heard.  Her eyes were slightly glazed over but she was alert and aware.  With a gentle tug of the necklace, Jack brought Riddick closer to her and kissed him on the lips.  It was soft but he could feel her need so he pushed a little harder, wrapping his arms around her.

She broke the kiss and hugged him, moving to his ear and spoke with the voice he never thought he would hear again.

"I love you," she said hoarsely and Riddick cried.  Life and power surged back into both of them and when he could find his voice he repeated those perfect words to her.

"I love you."    


	14. Chapter 14

******Here it is!  But don't worry, it's not over yet.  However, I do need your thoughts on if you want me to keep going or end it the way I originally planned, which will be in about one or two chapters.  E-mail me or send a review (they're always welcome) and thanks to everyone who has commented on the story.  I love you all!!**

Ellie had asked for Riddick to tell her if there were any changes in Jack but he couldn't leave her side.  He was propped up on his elbow, looking down on drowsy eyes that finally found his and focused, suddenly aware.

"Your eyes," she said weakly.  Riddick looked away in shame, closing his eyes.  It was obvious that he had gone through more than he wanted, reverting back to the Riddick she first met and he was ashamed, but Jack didn't think it should be that way.

She reached out to him, placing her hand on his cheek and turning his head back to face her.  "Riddick…look at me."  He opened his eyes but couldn't quite hold her gaze.  "I dreamed about you," she said and he swallowed hard, "and you know what?"  She put her other hand to his face and forced him to look at her.  "_This is what I saw."  Riddick's brow furrowed slightly.  "Your eyes, just like this.  I wasn't afraid.  They made me feel safe."_

Riddick bit down on his lower lip, searching her face for any sign of acceptance in everything he was, and that's _all he saw.  It didn't matter to her what he was before, the animal, void of any feeling, because it was still a part of him.  It completed him.  Without that dark side, he would have no light side.  Everything had to balance and together they were balanced._

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Ellie couldn't sit still long enough and when she finally couldn't take it anymore she headed to Jack's room.  One of the doctors was emerging from the room and she stopped him before he could disappear.  He quickly explained that Jack was awake and making a startlingly fast recovery.  Ellie wanted so much to go in there and see her awake and alive but she knew how hard all this had been on Riddick and figured he'd want her to himself for awhile.

So, she kissed the tips of her fingers and placed them on the door, smiling, giving thanks to whoever was watching over those three, then turned away to go spread the good news.

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Jack was released the next morning, very early and even though it might be the farthest thing from anyone's mind, they had a pick-up scheduled in less than two days so Taylor was back at the ship, assuming the role of Riddick and Ellie was filling in for Jack.

Riddick was so careful with Jack on the way, gentle when he touched her, when he gave her support; he could have easily just carried her but she insisted on walking.  She held tightly to his hand at first but then slipped her arm around his waist, wanting to be closer to him.

Jack felt like she had been out for so long, that she had missed out on so much.  She was in some other place for awhile but she hadn't been alone, Riddick had been there, watching over her.  She could remember smelling him, the taste of him lingering on her lips, her body warming to his every touch, the flash of silver in his eyes that gave her a way out of the darkness that had surrounded her.  And now, walking beside him to their ship, all those feelings came back to her, more real and more vivid this time around.

The scent of him was the same, still warm and inviting, the heavy weight of his arm across her shoulders was almost painfully wonderful.  It made her realize how much she needed him, how much she craved everything about him.

It was the details that kept her eyes drawn to him.  The size of his hands, the heavy muscles in his shoulders and arms, his deep soulful eyes, his full expressive lips; the list went on and on, running rampant through her head.  Every time she looked up at him, she felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach and her legs would become weak.  Riddick seemed to know and he held onto her tighter, which only caused her hormones to fly out of whack.  It was a quiet reminder that she still hasn't told him about the baby.  Even though he said he loved her, a baby can change everything, and the silent fear settled heavy in her heart.

The crew was very respectful of Jack's fragile state.  They stayed out of the way as Riddick escorted her to their room, only nodding their acknowledgment of her, avoiding any kind of small talk, and Jack was grateful.  She was still feeling out of sorts, like she wasn't really there, just seeing this from afar.  Riddick's hands on her kept her grounded and she allowed herself to be pulled wearily along.

Once in the bedroom, Riddick gently removed her clothes and helped her into one of his tee-shirts at her request, then helped her into bed.  He sat down on the edge and put his hand on her face, his lips curling slightly into a smile.

"I need to talk to Taylor so just stay here and rest.  I'll hurry back," he said, leaning over to kiss her.  She could feel the hunger burning from his lips, knowing hers were tingling with the same desire; so she just closed her eyes and let the feeling fill her.  

The shock of cool air on her wet lips signaled his departure and Jack rolled over to her side, tired but now totally restless.  She was going to have to tell him and soon or sleep would never come to her.

Riddick found Taylor on the main deck, looking over a work order.  He glanced up when he felt someone close by and smiled, "Hey, how's Jack?" he asked, putting his hand on Riddick's shoulder.

"She's doin' pretty good.  A little tired but…you know," Riddick said, shrugging a shoulder.

"Anything I can do?"  Riddick met Taylor's eyes and became all business.

"Yea, actually there is something you can do.  I need you to be in charge of this pick-up, the whole deal.  I know I can trust you."

"Not a problem," he responded.

"I need to be with Jack for awhile, until she's better,"  Riddick said, his voice getting lower with each word, his eyes becoming stormy as his mind ran through the events of the past couple days.  

Someone from his dark past had come back to haunt him, hurt the one person he loved and he was amazed the guy was still alive.  The 'old' Riddick wouldn't have given a second thought about breaking his neck.  Shader needed to suffer but Riddick's hands were tied at the moment…there was an option though.

"Any idea what they plan for Shader?"  Riddick asked Taylor.

"Yea, we're going to let everyone think he was after the Senator, that way we get more support from those higher up," Taylor explained as he started toward security with Riddick by his side.

"When they put him away, see if you can get them to send him to the Slam he used to work at.  I know of a few guys there that wouldn't mind getting a piece of him."  Taylor laughed quietly and slapped Riddick on the back.

"That _won't_ be a problem," he said, stopping at the door to security and turning back to face Riddick.  "I think the Senator will do anything for you and Jack, so I'll give him your request."

"Thanks," Riddick said as he turned to leave.  "I'll be around," he called out over his shoulder.

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When Riddick got back to his room, he stopped dead in his tracks when he stepped through the door.  Jack was standing in the living room still wearing his shirt, looking a little panicked.  Riddick's heart began pounding as he moved into the room, afraid something was wrong.

"You okay, Jack?" he asked, her name catching in his throat.

"I was going to tell you something before all this happened but…" she trailed off as she fought with her emotions, clasping her hands together.  Riddick knew exactly what she was going to tell him.  What he didn't understand was why it was so hard for her to just say it. 

He stepped right up to her and put his hands on her hips, his black eyes watching her trying to find the right words, her lips trembling as she grew frustrated.  Riddick decided to say it for her without saying it.  He slid down to his knees, pressing his forehead to her stomach; one hand moved to the lower part of her belly and he heard her gasp as she understood what he was doing.

"You know?"  Her voice came out choked as the tears constricted her throat.  He nodded and looked up at her.  "It's okay?" she asked, quietly, almost fearfully.

"Why wouldn't it be okay?"  He felt Jack shift uncomfortably in his grasp.  "I love you, Jack.  I love what you are, what we are, and this," he looked to his hand on her stomach, "is what _we are."  Jack's knees went weak as his heartfelt confession swept over her.  She collapsed onto his lap and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck._

"I love you so much," she whispered, crying onto his shoulder.  "I never should have doubted how you would feel."

"It's okay, Jack," he said as he ran his hands over her back, then pulling her even closer and holding her there.  "Everything is gonna be okay."

Riddick carried Jack back to bed and stayed with her when she took his hand and pulled him down.  He got comfortable on his side and they just watched each other.  Jack's eyes wandered over his face, taking in his eyes, down to his nose, lingering longer at his lips, then back to his eyes.  Riddick was doing the same, watching her, feeling her out with his senses, trying to find out what she wanted or needed.

Jack hooked her foot behind his knee and grabbed a handful of his shirt at the collar, pulling him closer.  It was all the invitation he needed.  He rolled onto her and settled between her legs, making sure to keep his full weight off her.  The look in her eyes was hungry desire, a need to be satisfied by him but also a need to go slow, make it last.

Jack pulled Riddick's shirt over his head and let him do the same with hers, now completely naked below him but in no way ashamed of the way she looked.  She shivered at the way Riddick's eyes traveled over her, the way he licked his lips and his attempt to keep his breathing slow and even.

Her breathing was fast and hard as she reached out and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him down on her.  When his warm skin met hers, she became inflamed; her lips were hot and swollen as blood rushed to her sensitive parts.

Riddick found her mouth and kissed her softly, dragging his lips across hers while he pressed the hardness of him to her.  His pants rubbed deliciously rough between her legs but the friction wasn't enough; she needed to feel the satin smooth of his skin against and inside her.

Jack reached between them just as he did, to free him of the last thing separating them and decided to let him handle it.  They both watched as he easily worked the buttons and zipper loose.  Jack hooked her fingers in his pants to pull them down while he reached inside his boxers but before she could get them anywhere near off, he slid easily inside her.

The sensation was almost too much for both of them and Riddick's pants were forgotten as he stilled inside her, burying his face in her neck and breathing hotly against her skin.  Jack put her hands on his cheeks and pulled him to her lips, kissing him deeply, sliding her tongue against his until he groaned into her mouth.  He was holding back but he wasn't complaining and he only started moving when she pressed her hips up to him and released his lips.

Their intense hunger was sated for the moment when their bodies came together, allowing Riddick to make love to her slow and easy.  He locked eyes with her and watched every expression on her face as he pushed into her and pulled out, feeling her tighten around him the more they moved together.

Their orgasms didn't crash over them, they just happened; settled over them like a blanket, warming their bodies until they tingled all over.  Jack cried and Riddick held her, rocking her against his hard body, making all the pain she had been going through disappear.  

Their love was so strong at this point that Jack felt like she was the most beautiful thing in the world and she and Riddick had managed to make it through their lives long enough to create the most perfect being, growing inside her.  It was a part of him and a part of her and this was the one thing she wanted more than anything, the chance at a family, the chance to love and be loved; to have Riddick in her life and now to have his baby in her life as well.

She held onto Riddick tight, not wanting to be away from him…ever, and he held her back, moving his hand down to rest on her belly.  He wanted this as much as she did and it almost hurt him to experience these kinds of feelings.  Jack's caring warmth, her unconditional love for him, the strength in her heart and soul that kept her alive, and because of that he can now have his own family…with her…the one he would always love.  


	15. Chapter 15

****** Okay, I've decided to make 'Fate' a little longer and I'm really thinking about a sequel but I'm not sure where I want to go with it, so I guess I better start planning.  Thanks for all your reviews and e-mails…they make me very happy.  Anyway, here's the next chapter.  I hope you enjoy it.  **

Riddick stayed with Jack for most of their second run until it was time for drop-off.  Jack was back to her normal self within a couple days but Riddick stuck close by, making sure she didn't over-exert herself.  She thought it was unnecessary but sweet and she really enjoyed the time they were able to spend together.  Riddick was like a new man, the smile on his face brighter, the tenderness of his hands when he touched her, softer; even the air about him felt lighter.

Sometimes it would be too much for her, all the sweet caring stuff and she would push for his darker side, the one she fell in love with.  She wasn't afraid of it anymore and occasionally she wanted to feel the animal heat.

Riddick was a little surprised by how strong she would come on to him and he was a little hesitant out of fear of hurting the baby, but Jack knew how much she could take and he never pushed it farther than that.

She cornered him one day at their place and made it very clear what she wanted just by the way she moved her body, the path her hands took on him, and the look in her eyes.  Her aggressiveness turned Riddick on more than he thought it would and when his back hit the wall from her playful push, he growled low in his chest and watched as Jack shut her eyes and leaned her head back, totally enjoying herself.

Riddick eyed her smooth throat down to her heaving chest, over her hard nipples, and further down to the small pooch of her belly where his baby was.  And his train of thought stopped as he looked at what his life had become.  It didn't really scare him that he was going to be a father, it just made him wonder.  Would he do right by this baby?  Would this child have his personality or Jack's, hateful or loving?  Only time would tell and right now was definitely not the time.

Jack roughly grabbed the front of Riddick's pants at the waist and jerked him forward, bringing him back the present; to Jack's wonderful scent of arousal, to the heat of her body.  He brought his chin down to his chest and smiled seductively at her, licking his lips when her eyes wandered to them.

She turned then, with her hand still in place, and pulled him in the direction of the bedroom.  Jack shut the door, pushed him onto the bed and had her way with him all night long.  It didn't take much to get her going every time.  At one point he was right in the middle of a full body stretch, revealing to her his gloriously naked self, deep golden skin shimmering slightly with sweat, muscles rippling up his abs to his chest, and Jack groaned audibly at the sight before pouncing on him.

'Thank God for hormones,' Riddick remembers thinking because he's never felt this satisfied by a woman in his entire life.

They spent the next two days in bed…recovering and they both needed it.  Not only was there a drop-off scheduled, but also a pick-up…same day.  Riddick involved himself in this one because it was more complicated to set up and the details needed to be strategically worked through and analyzed.  Jack, however, was not going to be allowed out of their room when they began descent; Riddick was not going to risk Jack's life, their baby's, or his sanity again.  She could be involved in everything else, just not this; and right now, she wasn't complaining.

This run involved the daughter of a top corporate executive who was on her way home from private school; normally she would just go on a public transport but her father has been experiencing some problems with his competitors and he was in fear for her safety.  Riddick let Jack go over the files, mainly to check their medical history, but also to familiarize herself with their new passengers, just as Riddick had done.

She was lying in bed going over the electronic files on the laptop when Riddick came in, all sweaty from his workout, and he tossed the towel on the bed, getting Jack's attention.

"How goes the research?" he asked, pulling his shirt over his head.  Jack looked up and took a second to admire his chiseled body, quickly trying to stifle the feelings that stirred inside her.

"It goes," she said, rubbing her hand over her eyes.  "Here, take a look at this."  She turned the laptop around and slid it to the end of the bed.  Riddick stopped in the middle of unzipping his pants and walked over, putting his hands on his hips, he looked down at the screen.  

Jack reached around and tapped the top right corner and said, "Right there.  Locked file."  Riddick crouched down and pulled the laptop closer.

"No shit," he said in surprise, typing something in.  "And fucking locked is right."  He continued typing for a minute, his eyes moving over the screen as he brought up all the information he could.  Jack moved off the bed and joined him so she could watch; he paused for a second when she kneeled down next to him and he glanced at her.  She could see him from the corner of her eye but she knew if she made eye contact, they'd never get through this, the laptop and the files would be forgotten and they would be tangled in each other for another heated round of horse-play.

He forced his attention back to the screen and sighed in frustration, "We pick-up tomorrow…this isn't good."  One of Riddick's rules was: they needed to know details about the people they were transporting so they could anticipate any problems; it wasn't just for the passengers' safety but the crew as well.  

This was kind of an emergency run and they were being paid double so it wasn't something they could just change their minds about.  Money was not the issue but the amount alone told them that it was very important this girl make it to her father alive, and it made Riddick tune in to his parental instincts and this was one job he would not refuse…or fail.

"Now what?" he asked, resting his chin in his hand.  Jack finally looked at him and draped an arm over his bare shoulders.

"Look, give me a couple days and I might be able to crack it.  No guarantees though, but I'll try."  Riddick smiled and turned his head to look at her.

"That's right, I forgot you could do that," he said moving his hand from his chin and put it underneath hers.  "But can you start on it tomorrow, I need a shower and I'd really like it if you'd join me."  A small laugh escaped her throat and she patted his knee before standing up.

"You're insatiable, you know that?"  Jack walked back to her side of the bed and sat down.  

Riddick snorted at her, "_I'm_ insatiable?" he asked incredulously.  Jack felt her cheeks get hot at the reminder of what she had done to him a few days ago.  They had barely recovered and she still wanted more but this wasn't like her and it actually made her embarrassed.  

Riddick sat down next to her and nudged her with his shoulder.  "It's normal to feel this way Jack and I'm certainly not complaining."

Jack shook her head and put her face in her hands, "How can it be normal, sitting in a meeting with the whole security team, watching you talk and wanting nothing more than to rip your clothes off and fuck you right in front of everybody."  Riddick raised his eyebrows at her and smiled.

"Really," he said thoughtfully.  Jack looked at him and was slightly confused by the look on his face.  "It still doesn't compare to what I've been thinking of."

"Oh, yeah, like what?"  Jack turned on the bed so she could face him and Riddick shook his head.

"I don't want to embarrass you," he said and Jack punched him in the arm.

"Come on, tell me," she insisted.  

"Fine," he relented.  "You remember a long time ago, the first time I told you I was leaving?"  Jack gave him a small nod as the flood of those painful memories began to invade her brain.  "Well, you were in the shower and I told you to come out so I could talk to you."  Riddick looked away from her as he spoke.  "Anyway, you were wearing just that towel and water was dripping from your hair onto your shoulders…" Jack suddenly realized where this was going and it made her smile and get all warm.  Riddick turned back to her and leaned in close.  "It took everything in my power not to tear that towel off and lick every drop of water off your body even with the Holy Man sittin' right there.  I didn't care.  I wanted you and sometimes when I see you, I feel just like I did that day."

Jack was shocked by his confession but the heat from his words, passing over his wonderful lips, made her ache in the lowest part of her body.  She looked into his eyes, seeing the immense power of him shining through to her, forcing her mind to tumble over the events of such a long time ago.  Riddick had been very good at hiding his feelings from her.  She had no clue that he felt that way about her, not even looking back on it now, she still couldn't see it.

Riddick could see the surprise in her eyes; her mouth dropped open slightly as if to speak but he put a finger to her lips to stop her.  "But I need to tell you what else was going through my mind."  Jack furrowed her brow and moved away from his finger and waited… curious.  "At the time, I saw you as just a girl with a body, you know, curves, soft skin, beautiful eyes, and that was it.  All I could think about was how good you would be in bed."  Jack tilted her head and looked at him intently.  She wasn't sure she was going to like where this was going but she let him speak.  "I'm glad I didn't act on what the animal was telling me because the night before I left I wanted to come to you, make you mine but I fought it and I'm glad I did because I don't think we would be here right now."  

Jack's eyes wandered down to her hands, clasped tightly in her lap, just seeing a blurry version of them as her eye filled with tears. "While I was gone I thought about you all the time and my thoughts changed from seeing you as just a body, to a person…to a woman I could love and that scared me.  I found myself wanting to see you just to see you, to be near you so I could feel how strong you were."  Riddick paused for a second as he looked at Jack.  He couldn't see her face but could feel the tension in her body.  He swallowed hard and finished up, "By the time I got back, fucking your brains out was the last thing on my mind."

Jack could feel the tears slip down her cheeks as Riddick talked, feeling so many things at the same time, anger, sadness, love, lust, happiness.  He has never talked this much to her about the way he was feeling and her emotions erupted inside her, filling her with love so strong it hurt, made her dizzy and weak.  

She leaned forward and put her forehead on his shoulder, sobbing loudly now.  Riddick took it the wrong way and started apologizing but she cut him off with a solid kiss to the lips, pressing hard into them until he eased up and accepted her gesture for what it was, a passion filled kiss that spoke volumes.  There was nothing to apologize for; he was being honest with her about how he used to see her and how much his feelings have changed, grown stronger and more meaningful; it was what she's wanted to hear for a long time now.

Jack moved closer, forcing him to lie down and straddled his hips, still kissing him, drawing out the passion she felt just below the surface, sucking softly on his tongue until he was moving beneath her, trying to get more.  His hands went to her face and he held her still as he searched her mouth, her lips, trying to express to her how strongly he felt about her, how extremely vulnerable she made him feel, how fast she could make his heart beat from the simple taste of her lips.  

It was hard for Jack to breathe; she didn't want to stop, she needed to feel this but she also needed air, she needed to slow down out of fear of breaking apart from all the emotional turmoil; so she tore her lips from his, breathing just as hard as he was and sat back on him, looking up at the ceiling.  The room seemed to tilt as she tried to restore the oxygen to her brain but the dizzy sensation went away quickly and what she felt started her heart jumping again.  Riddick was very hard and every time she moved her hips, she felt him twitch beneath her.

She looked down between them and Riddick followed her line of sight.  "Told ya you were insatiable," she gasped out.  Riddick laughed but it was stopped short when she moved again, dragging her hot center up the length of him.

"I guess you're right," he growled, grabbing her hips and looking up into her eyes.  "So…where are we on that shower?"

********************

 The new passengers followed Riddick and Taylor up the ramp and Jack looked them over from her hiding spot down the hall.  There were two of them; one was a young girl about 16 with medium length blonde hair, light brown eyes, small build, and a very shy stance.  The man with her was tall, fairly decent build, with short brown hair and bright blue eyes.  Jack recognized them from the research files…Ethan and Kelly.

Kelly was the daughter of the big corporate executive and Ethan was her personal bodyguard.  Jack knew more about them than most people, intimate details, like the fact that Kelly was on birth control because she couldn't keep away from the guys.  That made Jack a little nervous and seeing her standing their pretending to be shy…she could tell it was an act.  

Jack watched Riddick do his thing, shake their hands, smile, talk, be the professional, the one to instill confidence in those he was protecting, and it worked every time.  Kelly looked up at him and smiled, relaxing visibly with a sparkle in her eyes that made Jack feel suspicious but she smiled as well.  She remembered looking at him like that a long time ago, trusting him, admiring him, falling in love with him.  Yeah, Jack was definitely going to have to keep an eye on that girl. All it takes is one look from Riddick and you'd fall head-over-heels in love with him.  She knew from experience.

Riddick glanced down the hall and saw Jack, giving her a look that made her feel like a child, caught out of bed in the middle of the night, but Jack could see the smile behind the look as he walked out of her line of sight.  She laughed quietly as she headed back to their room to relax, clear her head, hoping that Riddick wouldn't decide to come find her because her head would never stay clear with him around.

Tonight she was going to start on that locked file and see what she could come up with, she had her doubts about her abilities, but she also knew that a fresh pair of eyes is sometimes the way to go. 


	16. Chapter 16

Jack waited until everything was settled before heading over to security to start hacking.  It was late and the halls were quiet as well as security.  She took a seat at one of the computers and got down to business, enjoying the silence around her.

Jack was sitting there for a very long time, lost in all the lines of code that passed over the screen.  To most people, all these numbers would look just like that…numbers, but Jack saw patterns, windows, all leading her to the one locked door somewhere deep inside the system.

She was so focused on the screen that the warm weight on her shoulders didn't register at first, not until she felt a squeeze.  The sensation moved down her arms and then disappeared.  Jack closed her eyes and rolled her head on her shoulders, taking a deep cleansing breath just as the sensation returned, resting on her knee.

Jack opened bleary eyes and looked down to her left.  Riddick was crouched next to her, watching her intently with his almost black eyes.  She didn't hear him come in and seeing him there suddenly didn't startle her, she was too tired to be shocked by anything at this point.  She smiled and put her hand on his cheek, happy to have him there.

"Jack, you've been in here for hours," he rumbled softly.  Jack absently ran her fingers over the stubble on his jaw and closed her eyes again.  The prickly feeling sent tiny tendrils of heat through her hand and up into her arm.

"Has it been that long?" she asked, her voice a barely audible whisper.

"You should rest."

"I'm okay," she said quickly.  "I think I'm close."  Her fingers trailed down to his neck, feeling the steady pulse in his throat.  "Really," she insisted when she opened her eyes and saw the worried expression on his face.  "I just need a short break."  

Jack stood up and raised her arms above her head to stretch, her aching muscles warming as the blood began to flow through them.  Riddick stayed where he was for a moment, looking up at her as she stretched, at the way she groaned through it, the way she unconsciously teased him.  He stood slowly, running his hands up the backs of her thighs until his arms were around her waist.

Jack's stretching session was cut short by Riddick's actions and she brought her arms down on his shoulders and pulled him close, sighing in content.

"Why don't you let me help you with that break," Riddick said, flicking his tongue over her earlobe before taking it between his teeth.  Jack's blood instantly started rushing through her veins as her heart pounded painfully against her ribs.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she said sweetly, even though she wanted him to, so bad.

"I know I don't have to…I _want_ to," he breathed heavily against her neck.  His hands inched their way around to the front and began unfastening her pants.

"What if someone comes in?"  Jack pulled away from him but he continued his work on her zipper.

"Door's locked," he purred deeply, moving his hands to her hips just inside her pants.  Jack's heart skipped a few beats at the feel of his fingers on her bare heated skin.  He slipped her pants the rest of the way off and Jack kicked out of them.

"Really, Riddick.  You don't need to do this."  Jack didn't understand why she was refusing him when it was so obvious her body was aching for him.  Maybe because she had roughed him up pretty good a few days ago, but she couldn't feel bad about that…he had never complained.

Riddick ignored her and gently pushed at her shoulders, signaling her to sit down.  She did without hesitation and reclined back against the cool leather of the chair.  Riddick knelt down between her legs and deftly slipped her panties off and tossed them aside.  Jack tightly gripped the armrests in nervous anticipation of his next move.

Riddick has never gone down on her before and she wasn't about to stop him but the intense need her body had of him didn't ease the butterflies in her stomach and when he grabbed the backs of her knees and dragged her closer to him, she nearly lost it, her body already on the verge of going over the edge.

Jack bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for it to begin, for Riddick to show her something new, to give her more than she's ever gotten before.  When his beautiful mouth finally touched down on her, Jack's body shuddered in relief.

Riddick's lips and tongue brought her pleasure that she's never experienced before, working her up to a frenzy of raw nerves and sensation.  He paid close attention to what her body was telling him, he gauged what she liked and what she didn't like, teasing her to no end.  Jack wiggled under his sweet torment but he used the weight of his arms on her legs to hold her steady, searching out her hands with his, which she latched onto gratefully; holding them in her death like grip until her knuckles turned white.

The dull throb between her legs began to rise to a full-blown roar and Jack wanted to scream through her orgasm but found that her voice was stuck in her throat and she stopped breathing as her body tightened up.  She was hit with shock waves; one after the other and her body trembled violently with each impact.

It was as if the waves wouldn't stop coming, over and over, rushing through her body.  So intense that Jack could hardly feel Riddick's hands on her, his lips, his body.  Her eyes were shut tight as she relaxed…slowly.  She felt weakened yet strong at the same time.  Riddick seemed to have revitalized her and she was finally able to take a breath, taking in the cool air of the room.

Riddick moved up to her lips and kissed her lightly, bringing her back.  Jack gave him a breathy laugh and tried to keep the smile off her face but couldn't.

"I can't bel…Wow."  Was all Jack could get out.  Her voice was all shaky just like her body.  Riddick liked the answer and his eyes sparkled as a smile tugged at his lips.  He let out a satisfied sigh and shifted his position so he could lie on her shoulder.  Jack wrapped her arms around him and felt something hard pressing into her thigh.  Riddick had gotten himself all worked up and Jack wanted to return the favor.

She kissed him on the head and squeezed him tight.  "Why don't you let me take care of that for you."  Riddick pulled out of her arms and looked down between them.  He didn't even realize he was hard and now it was painfully obvious as it pushed against his pants.  Riddick laughed and sat back on his heels, his hands smoothing over Jack's bare legs, down to her knees.

"It's okay, Jack.  That was for you."  He reached over and retrieved her clothes and handed them to her.  She looked at him in disbelief.

"Come on Riddick," she said, as she slipped back into her panties.  Riddick stood up and looked down at her as she dressed.  She had to stand to pull her pants up so he backed away to give her room and just watched.

"I'll live," he said simply.  Jack shook her head.

"Well, if you insist but may I suggest you don't leave here until you calm down…" she looked down at the front of his pants, "oh, just a little."

"I'll be fine.  There are some things I need to go check on so I'll see you back at our place…don't be too long," Riddick said with a little hint of something in those last words.

"I won't," Jack replied, watching Riddick move gracefully to the door.  His swagger was slow and relaxed even though he must be a little bit uncomfortable.  The man was big and when he was turned on…Jack didn't understand how he wasn't in more pain.

"Okay, back to work," she said aloud once Riddick was out of sight.  When she sat down, she could still feel the muscles clenching in her lower half and she chuckled quietly in the empty room.  Riddick was good.  He knew exactly what she wanted and needed and he performed the task very well.

***********************************

Riddick was headed for the engine room.  Some of the crew said they have heard unusual noises down there for most of the day.  Not really anything to be too concerned for but Riddick thought he'd have a look.  Couldn't hurt, right?  It just might take his mind of a few pressing needs.

The lights were only on in certain sections of the engine room creating deep pools of darkness where the light couldn't reach.  Unintentionally, Riddick stuck to those darker areas more out of habit than anything.  He checked the gauges and the control panels as he walked through the large room; stopping occasionally to listen for these unusual sounds the crew said they were hearing.  So far…nothing.

Riddick squeezed through the smaller spaces, ducked under the lower parts; circled the entire room, about to give up when he heard it, somewhere to his right…

…CLANK!

Riddick whipped around and crouched down, his breathing becoming slow and silent.  He scanned the area but there were racks, wires, and panels blocking his view, no way to tell if there was someone in front of him.  He could feel it though; somewhere ahead of him there was someone there.

As quickly and as quiet as ever, Riddick moved forward to a more open section of the room.  There was a metal post on the far side of the clearing with a chain lying at the bottom on the floor.  It took Riddick a second to figure out that the chain was in fact a pair of handcuffs and at either end were slim delicate hands, bound in steel.  He couldn't see around the post so he moved to his right to have a better look, his senses on high alert.

He knew it was a girl right away, not just by the size of the hands but the shock of blonde hair that fell over her upper arm and shoulder in silky waves.

_Blonde?  No one on my crew is blonde…SHIT!_

Riddick realized who it was, the one person he was supposed to protect…Kelly.  Caution was holding him back but the adrenaline in his veins forced him to move.  His muscles flexed and strained as he fought with his instincts to run to her.  Something wasn't right and as he was about to take his first running step the sound of movement from behind grabbed his attention just before it actually reached his ears.  He turned to see Ethan walking quickly towards him.

"What the hell is going on here?" he demanded as he stepped into the light.  Riddick straightened his stance and eyed Ethan warily.

"Not sure yet," he answered in a low even tone.  Riddick turned back to Kelly and saw her hand twitch, her hair sliding off her arm as she began to stir.

"Why the fuck is she …"

…that was all Riddick heard Ethan say from behind before a sharp blinding pain shot through his head and everything went black.

***********************************

"Come on, come on," Jack whispered at the computer screen.  She managed to find a back door on Ethan's file and she was just waiting for the information to load.

She leaned back in the chair and breathed in the air that still smelled like Riddick, allowing a smile to creep up on her lips.  There was no way she could tire of that man.  He was more amazing than anyone she's ever met.  His sex appeal, intelligence, strange sense of humor, and ever the _feel_ of him rivaled everyone.  All he had to do was walk into a room and that would be it for her.  He carried himself well; the strong presence he brought with him could make you feel safe or it could scare the shit out of you.  Jack remembers feeling both the first time she saw him.

Her thoughts were interrupted as information filled the screen in a flash of light.  Jack started reading as it came on but what she saw was not what she was expecting.  She bolted upright in her seat, her heart in her throat as the information continued to pour across the screen.

"Shit, shit, shit!" she yelled as she jumped up and ran for the door.  She had to find Riddick fast.

The halls were fairly busy with the crew changing shifts and Jack asked each of them if they had seen Riddick.  No one had.  By the time she ran into Taylor she was frantic.

"Taylor!" she gasped out, leaning over to catch her breath.  "We need to find Riddick.  We've got trouble."  Taylor radioed the rest of the security team while Jack explained what was going on.  They decided to split up and Jack headed to their place to see if he had gone there.

She burst into the room and checked everywhere…bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, he wasn't there.  Not wanting to waste time, Jack took off for the med lab but it was just as empty, Ellie wasn't even around.

Jack stepped back out into the hall and stood there looking in each direction, breathing hard from running and shaking all over out of fear, trying to figure out what to do next.  The ship was just too goddamn big and the worst feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.  Riddick always seemed to show up when she needed him, as if he knew but he wasn't showing this time; something was very wrong

"God baby, where are you?" she said into the empty hall.  Jack absently chose a direction and began running, fighting the urge to start yelling for him.  Her heart raced in time with her thoughts as the feeling of dread began to consume her.

_"NO!"  _She would not be dragged down by this.  She needed to be strong, to keep moving; giving up was not an option.

As she came around a corner the black bold letters on the door to her left caught her eye…**ENGINE ROOM.  **Jack dared herself to hope that he could be down there.  She pushed open the door and stepped into a small plain room that had a hole in the center with an access latter, going down.  She stood at the top of the latter when a strange feeling swept over her.  Something telling her to be careful, that there was danger down below.

****So, what was in that file and what's going to happen next?  Keep an eye out for the next chapter.  Thanks for your patience and all the reviews and e-mails. =)

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	17. Chapter 17

****Sorry it took so long to get this out.  I've been working on another story that will be up shortly.  Anyway, this is the last chapter.  It's been really fun writing it and now I'm kind of sad that it's over.  My writing isn't, though.  So, if you will, please read this and review it; send me you final thoughts on the story, how it made you feel, if you liked it, and if you want a sequel.  I want to thank all those who had influenced me throughout the creation of this story.  I wouldn't have been able to finish it without you all. =)

It was dark and the only thing Jack could make out were the steel beams she was stepping around.  Faint yellow light could barely penetrate the gloom but she avoided it, knowing that if there were danger down here, she didn't want to announce her arrival by stepping into the light and giving them a perfect target.

She didn't hear anything at first, but as she moved in deeper she could barely make out different pitches of sound, a human voice and the closer she got the deeper it got.  But the pitch of the voice was still too high to be Riddick's and the tone was that of someone who was losing or lost their sanity. 

Nervous butterflies started flapping their wings inside her stomach and slowly found entrance into her veins, filling her entire body.  She had to be ready for this, be ready for anything but she also had a little special someone to look after and stepping into this kind of situation could hurt both and them and more so, hurt Riddick in a way that would probably kill him.  Jack didn't think Riddick, as strong as he is, could survive if she and the baby died.  So, Jack was going to do her best to **not** let that happen.

She hid herself behind a shelf and looked into the clearing of light and saw Ethan…no surprise to her, and Kelly was on the ground, chained.  That kind of startled her but what nearly knocked her on her ass was the slumped over figure directly across from her, half in the light half in the shadow; Riddick, and the blood on the floor sent her heart into an erratic beat of panic.

He was on his hands and knees, trying to crawl closer to Ethan but he gave up and fell to the ground, rolling onto his back, bathed in the pale light, giving Jack a good look at his injuries.  There was a cut on the side of his head that was bleeding, not as bad as it apparently had been, but still bleeding nonetheless.

Jack's heart ached at the sight of Riddick down, injured, lacking any strength to even pull himself up.  This was not the Riddick Jack knew and it scared her, just like when he was bit and she had to take care of him.  It terrified her to see him this weak.  To her, he was invincible, could withstand anything, but she knew how human he was, just like everybody else, and just like everybody he could get hurt and he could die.  Jack was not about to let that happen.  

She was about to move into view when Ethan started talking.  She stopped to listen, to try and judge just how insane he was and if his insanity was going to be too much for her to handle.  There were ways to turn that around and use his state of mind against him but she wasn't sure if she had the means to do it yet. 

"It's perfect.  I kill her and tell everyone that you did it and I fought with you and killed you."  Ethan rubbed his hands together as the plan formed in his head.  "That way, I won't even be a suspect and no one will know."

Yea, he was completely gone and Jack decided to make her move.  "Not if I can help it," she said, stepping out of the shadows.  Riddick managed to turn his head so he could see her, blinking away the blood that had run into his eyes.

"Jack, no," he choked out, closing his eyes against the blinding pain that shot through his head.  Jack looked at him, seeing him lying on the floor with blood all over him but managed to keep herself calm.  She turned her attention back to Ethan and took a step forward.

"Look, lady.  I'll kill as many of you as I have to…doesn't matter to me.  People won't know the truth because the dead **don't** talk."

"Have you ever done anything that you've regretted?"  Jack asked, her voice low and unthreatening.  Ethan paused for a moment at her unusual line of questioning.

"Nope," he replied after a second.  Jack shook her head.

"Sure you have, everybody has."  Riddick kept his eyes closed but remained focused on Jack's voice, trying to stay conscious.  He's never heard her sound this way and he wondered where it was coming from.  "I've had many regrets in my life," Jack continued, taking another step closer to Ethan.  "But I won't regret killing you if I have to."  Her voice had a strange quality to it, echoing softly off the metal walls and coming back to her.  She almost didn't recognize it herself.  

"Yeah, I'd like to see that happen," Ethan said, crossing his arms over his chest.  Jack took another step but inside she was shaking more with every inch of distance she closed.  This guy could kill in a second but something kept her moving forward, kept her talking.

"Ethan, you don't know anything about me.  You don't know what I'm capable of."  Jack caught a glimmer of nervousness in his eyes but he didn't move.  "See that man over there, the one you want to kill."  Ethan looked over to Riddick then back to Jack, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, so," he said.

"I have never loved anyone more than I love him.  He's my life, he's everything that makes me strong, makes me happy, and I don't know what I'd do without him."  Jack didn't take her eyes off Ethan but she could see out of the corner of her eye that Riddick trying to pull himself up.  "I need him in my life and this baby needs him in its life."

"Jack," Riddick warned.  She was showing Ethan her weakness and that was going to get them all killed.  "Move away, Jack."  Jack ignored him and continued when she saw uncertainty flicker in Ethan's eyes.

"This isn't you, Ethan.  You're not a killer," Jack said.

"Like you said before, same goes with me; you don't know anything about me," Ethan said as confidently as he could but Jack could see she was getting to him.

"You might be right but I do know that you won't go through with this…not now."  Ethan threw his head back and laughed, a loud booming sound that made Jack cringe but at the same time, she could hear that he was forcing it, trying to intimidate her.  It wasn't working.

Riddick stopped trying to get up.  Jack was going to do what she was going to do and at this point he couldn't even see straight to be of any help to her.  He only hoped she knew what she was getting into.

Ethan's laughter came to an abrupt halt and the grip on his knife intensified, eyes burning intensely into Jack.  He was all serious now and was ready to get back to business.  Roughly, he grabbed Kelly's arm and was about to make the first cut on her wrist and Jack made her move.

Her hand latched onto Ethan's wrist and pulled it away from Kelly's arm, surprising Ethan with the speed of her attack.  She wrapped the fingers of her other hand around his throat and squeezed harder than she thought possible.  The knife he was holding dropped to the floor with a loud clang as he struggled to get her hand off his neck.  She slammed him back against the shelf that stood behind him and got right in his face.

"Do you think I would stand by and watch my world fall apart because someone you used to work for is paying you a shit load of money to off some poor helpless girl!" Jack yelled, feeling an anger in her surface in a red-hot blinding rage.  "And as for knowing about you…I know a lot.  I know you lost your wife in this same kind of deal.  The company you used to work for had some fierce competition and they off'd her to get you to quit because you had valuable information about them that you could only access if you were still employed and it worked, now you're seeking revenge by doing the same thing they did to her!  How fucked up is that?"

Ethan stopped struggling and looked at Jack through tear filled eyes.  Whether it was from the lack of oxygen or the reality of Jack's words, she had no idea.  Riddick listened on and suddenly found the strength to pull himself up, fighting off the sleepy feeling that pulled at his senses.  Jack must have gotten through that locked file and somehow, she was keeping herself safe with that information.  Riddick could feel Ethan was about to crumble, Jack almost had him.

 "Don't you realize what's happening here?" she asked more quietly, feeling her own tears burning in her eyes.  "I'm doing exactly what you would have done if you had been given the chance.  One small chance to have been where your wife was when they killed her.  One chance to stop them.  Think about it.  If I continue on with what you _would have done, given that chance, do you think you'll live through this?"  Ethan shook his head no, his body weakening under the weight of her words._

"That's right!"  Jack yelled, now crying freely.  "I will do everything in my power to keep my family safe.  No one will hurt him or our baby…EVER!" she said with conviction.  Ethan slumped to the floor and Jack released his neck.  "I love him," she whispered.  

Riddick finally made it to her side, forcing away the pain in his head and becoming fully aware of everything around him; that's what Jack did to him, made his life richer, vibrant, and a little knock on the head was not going to keep him away from her.  Wrapping an arm around her waist he pulled her back away from Ethan.  Jack turned and threw her arms tightly around Riddick's neck.  "I love you," she said into his ear.  Riddick sighed in relief.  It was over, she was safe and no one was hurt.

"I love you, too," he whispered back, burying his face in her neck.  He didn't want to let go of her because when she was in his arms he knew she was safe and he knew he was safe.  Jack had a fire in her that sometimes rivaled his, a power that allowed her to know how far she could push things.  Riddick would have just killed Ethan if he'd had the chance and not been knocked unconscious, but Jack was able to see a weakness in Ethan that she used against him.

Somehow she knew that he wouldn't hurt her, something deep inside her told her she would be okay.  'Damn, we make a pretty good team' Riddick thought as he stood there with Jack, feeling nothing but her body against his and the love that she had for him warming his heart.

********************

Riddick sat next to Jack on the main deck as their security team took care of Ethan.  Kelly was under Ellie's care and it looked like everything was going to be just fine.  Riddick refused medical attention for the time being and Ellie granted him that but she wanted to see him later.  Right now, he just wanted to be here with Jack, sit with her for a while, just to know she was still with him.  He had his arm around her and she was leaning against his shoulder.

"So," she started saying and Riddick looked down at her.  "Every time we do a run we're going to have to go through this shit?"  Her voice was light and sweet in spite of everything and it made Riddick smile.

"Pretty much, yeah," he answered, kissing her on the forehead.  "Do you think we should stop and find something else to do?"  Jack pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes.

"Hell no.  I'm having too much fun."  Riddick was shocked.  He was expecting her to want to give it up and do something a lot safer.

"You are?" he asked skeptically.

"Oh come on.  Since I met you, it was kind of a fantasy of mine to go on all these adventures with you, kick some ass here and there, see all kinds of different places and people…you know," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"A fantasy, huh?" Riddick said, his smile brighter.

"Just one of them," she said, blushing slightly.  "You up for it?"

"Hmmm," he said, thoughtfully.  "Yeah.  You think you are?" he asked.  Jack put her hand on his cheek and he put his on hers.

"Bring it on, baby," she said before kissing him on the lips.  He returned it with a renewed passion, a sudden need to make it last forever.  Yeah, they were both up for the challenge and as long as they were together, nothing could break them down.

********************

Six Months Later

"Remember when I asked you once if you were up for this?" Jack asked, her voice strained.  Riddick only nodded.  "Well, I don't think I am!" she squeaked out as another painful contraction ripped through her abdomen.  Riddick held her hand as Ellie checked her over, seeing how far she was dilated.

"Time to start pushing," she said.  "You're almost through."

"Not soon enough!" Jack screeched.  She was going to have to do this naturally because the labor was moving swiftly along and it was too late to give her anything.  Riddick crawled onto the bed and positioned himself behind her to help support her.  He figured any encouraging words he could give her would only come back and bite him in the ass so he kept his mouth shut and became the steady rock for her to lean on.

Riddick kept his breathing even and slow and Jack tried to follow suit.  He wiped the sweaty hair away from her forehead, lightly kissing her on the cheek, and prayed that they would both make it through this.  Jack had her hands on his knees, using them as leverage to pull herself forward to push and Riddick covered her hands with his and leaned forward with her. 

All was silent in the room as she held her breath and pushed as hard as she could.  Riddick could feel her heart pounding hard against his chest as well as his own.  The seconds ticked by slowly and then the room was filled with Jack's cries of pain.

"I can't do it!" she cried out.

"Yes, you can," Ellie said.  "Come on, give me another one."  Jack took a deep breath and so did 

Riddick.  He's never gone through anything like this in his life and he didn't think he'd feel this helpless.  She was going through this because of what he did to her and for a second he felt guilty that she was the one to suffer.  But he knew Jack would never see it like that.  She never felt it was something he _did_ to her.  They both did it, they were in it together and this was just a small sacrifice on her part in order to have a family with him.  No regrets.

Jack only had to push a few more times before Ellie yelled out, "Okay, stop!  Don't push."  Jack leaned back against Riddick and tried not to push, felt his arms go around her and his lips go to her neck.  He was so wonderful through all this, so strong and loving that Jack started to cry.  Really let go.  Riddick thought it was just from the pain so he held her tighter but that wasn't all.  Jack would go through this all over again just to have this feeling, this feeling of love.

"All right Jack.  Give me one more push and it's all over," Ellie said as she looked up from her hands.  

"Riddick," Jack said quietly.

"I'm here," he replied.  Jack nodded and took his hands in hers and took a deep breath.  Silence again as Jack bore down, the blood rushing loudly in her ears, the heat from Riddick's body pressed against her back, and the intense burning sensation ripping through her body kept her speechless.  It kept her focused, made her push harder and with a laugh that came from Ellie, Jack suddenly felt empty, hollowed out…strange.  

Jack fell back against Riddick, exhausted and relieved that it was over and that it was the beginning of a whole new adventure.  She tried to catch her breath as she stared at the ceiling.  Riddick stroked her face with the backs of his fingers and kissed her on the neck.

"You did it Jack," he whispered in her ear.  

She shook her head. "No, **we** did it," she corrected and Riddick hugged her tighter.

"And here is, with the most dramatic entrance into the world I have ever seen…your new baby girl," Ellie said just as the tiny wails of the baby filled the room.

"A girl?" Jack asked in surprise, looking down at the bundle Ellie had in her arms.  She handed up the little package to Jack and moved to the side to give them some privacy.  "A girl," Jack repeated, her voice breaking as her stirred up emotions hit her full force.  Riddick hadn't said a word and Jack looked back at him only to see silent tears slipping down his cheeks.  He blinked them away and put his chin on Jack's shoulder.

"Our little girl," Riddick said in a voice heavily laden with emotion.  He reached for the baby and ran one finger over its smooth cheek.  The baby stopped crying and looked at them both, recognizing them, forming that bond that was so important in a family; something neither Jack nor Riddick ever had the chance to experience.  This baby saved Jack's life.  This baby was created by the love Jack and Riddick had for each other.  This baby gave Riddick a sense of fullness in his heart that he didn't think was possible.  Jack had filled it completely and he didn't think there was room for anyone else, but he was mistaken.  There would always be room in his heart for those he loved, now and forever.

"So, did you ever decide on a name?"  Riddick asked Jack.  He let her make the decision in that matter, knowing it would be perfect coming from her.

"Yeah," Jack said, moving her head so she could kiss Riddick on the lips.  "Eve."  Riddick pulled back and smiled, tears still evident in his eyes.

"Eve it is," he said, kissing her again, feeling her happiness all through his body.  They broke the kiss when the baby squealed.  Riddick laughed, a deep thunderous laugh, so full of life and love that Jack could feel and she laughed as well.

"I love you, Riddick," Jack said, moving the baby to her shoulder.  Riddick kissed Eve on the forehead and pressed his cheek to Jack's, nuzzling her as he wrapped his arms around both of them.

"I love you," he said, looking at Jack before turning his attention back to Eve.  "I love you both…with everything I have…with everything I am." 

The End 


End file.
